The Allegheny Front

Several clean energy projects are already underway across the county, including a hydrogen hub that's moving forward in western Pennsylvania. But will it survive President Trump's campaign to undo Joe Biden's climate legacy? At the second anniversary of the East Palestine train derailment, some residents were unimpressed with the parade of politicians who made an official visit. A new campaign hop...

This week on The Allegheny Front, a special report. It's been two years since the the Norfolk Southern train derailed near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. Researchers have been looking at how the toxic chemicals released in the disaster could impact people's health, and many who lived nearby still have health questions. A Western Pennsylvania Congressman is calling on leaders in Washington to pass r...

Manufacturing is cleaner and more automated than when it peaked in the Pittsburgh area in the 1950s. Federal dollars and clean energy have revolutionized manufacturing, but what happens now that President Trump is back in office? Jobs in clean energy are expanding faster in Pennsylvania than the state's overall economy, according to a new report. A climate journalist looks at the potential consequ...

As cities try to reduce emissions, getting more people to adopt solar energy is key. Community-owned solar projects could be a solution. Some operators want to extend the lives of coal plants because of increased energy demand. President-elect Trump has endorsed relaxing regulations that could help do this. Farmers are doing everything they can to prevent a bird flu outbreak in Pennsylvania. Plus,...

A well pad explosion in Ohio has caused some local communities to worry about the safety of oil and gas. What does the Farm Bill have to do with climate change? A bid to sell U.S. Steel to a Japanese company gets shot down by President Biden. What does it mean for air quality in the region? A new state program that aims to save schools money through solar energy is open for applications. States ha...

Happy New Year from everyone here at The Allegheny Front! Thank you to all who donated during our end-of-the-year campaign. While we didn't quite meet our goal of $15,000, it's never too late to donate. And when you do, you become a member of The Allegheny Front - you'll get invites to chats with our reporters and members-only updates from our team. Best of all, you'll be supporting independent jo...

Hi podcast listeners! We only have just a few days left to raise $15,000. Every dollar matters. Take action today to keep your community informed in 2025. Give now and your donation will be doubled for double the impact. Donate today.   Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.  And thanks!   This week's episode: Twenty-five million people live in the Ohio R...

We only have 1 more week to raise $15,000. Right now, we're not quite half way through! Every dollar matters. It helps us pay our journalists to travel the region to produce the stories on pressing environmental issues that you come to expect. It helps us pay for the technology to edit and mix our stories and podcast, host our podcast and keep our website updated. Take action today to keep your co...

We're more than halfway through our end-of-the-year fundraiser. Between now and December 31st, we hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our work in the year ahead. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. All donations will be match...

We're more than halfway through our end-of-the-year fundraiser. Between now and December 31st, we hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our work in the year ahead. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. All donations will be match...

Our end-of-the-year campaign is in full swing and with your help, we can raise important funding to keep our independent, nonprofit newsroom strong. Through Dec. 31st, your monthly donation will be matched 12 times, or your one-time donation will be doubled! Democracy needs news. News needs you. Will you answer the call? Donate today. And thanks!   Pennsylvania's trees are facing a multitude of th...

We just kicked off our end-of-the-year campaign and with your help, we can raise important funding to keep our independent, nonprofit newsroom strong. Through Dec. 31st, your monthly donation will be matched 12 times, or your one-time donation will be doubled! Democracy needs news. News needs you. Will you answer the call? Donate today. And thanks!   The Northeast has faced a record-breaking droug...

Last year the Biden administration tasked federal agencies with considering environmental justice in their decisionmaking. Some say that isn't happening as planning for the seven new hydrogen hubs moves forward nationwide. Water quality in Pennsylvania streams is being hindered by aging dams, many of which are dangerous and obsolete. Climate-related weather like flash floods and extreme heat impac...

This week on The Allegheny Front, the election. We'll hear from voters in Pennsylvania who are skeptical about climate change and solutions, like electric vehicles and solar energy. Environmental leaders react to what a second Trump administration will mean for the climate. And, how state elections might and might not impact environmental progress in Pennsylvania.

Democrats are hoping to get climate policy passed by flipping at least three seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate. But a race in Pittsburgh's suburbs is leaving the environment out. More rain as a result of climate change is causing landslides and testing planning decisions made decades ago. Money from the Inflation Reduction Act is starting to flow into Pennsylvania, but future funding could be...

What's at stake in the upcoming presidential race? Republicans say they want to repeal Biden's big climate law, but the law also includes subsidies for a product oil and gas companies are interested in—hydrogen. Independent research after the East Palestine train derailment found many of the same chemicals that were officially reported in the aftermath. But researchers also found a number of other...

After a coal-fired power plant closed last year, residents of the southwestern Pennsylvania community are trying to make a go of tourism by cleaning up its legacy pollution. A new environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. New color-correcting viewfinders in some state parks will allow people who are colorblind to enjoy the autumn leaf show. Also, new fede...

Former President Trump has been claiming there is a Biden electric vehicle mandate. There isn't one, but the rhetoric has some EV advocates concerned.  A new study shows support for leasing land for solar projects in Pennsylvania farming communities. Volunteers are knocking on doors to get people who care about the environment and climate change to vote. Also, lead drinking water pipes in the U.S....

Even though a president couldn't ban fracking in Pennsylvania, it's still being talked about this campaign season. We fact-check what's being said. In light of the East Palestine train derailment, advocates are pushing for more inclusion in disaster planning for people with disabilities. A new theatrical production hopes to entertain and educate people about a fuel source that comes from our own f...

Support our journalism.  This work doesn't happen without you. Become a founding member today! A judge signed off on a 600 million dollar settlement between Norfolk Southern and people who live near the East Palestine train derailment. But many are unhappy with the outcome. A new study looks at the influence of oil and gas industry donations on university research. Survivors of the worst industria...

Support our journalism. This work doesn't happen without you. Become a founding member today! A Pennsylvania-based driller is promoting its own data showing fracking poses no health risks. But public health experts are skeptical. Erie residents have questions about how a huge, proposed plastic recycling plant could impact them. We're not going to buy our way out of the climate crisis. What we can...

There wasn't a lot of talk about the environment in Tuesday's presidential debate, except for one hot topic: fracking. We fact check the candidates' claims about the issue. Some people who live along Indian Creek in West Virginia had pristine well water, but that's changed they say, due to mining. Researchers in western Pennsylvania are soliciting help to learn more about invasive spotted lanternf...

As potato chips get more expensive, is climate change part of the reason? We crunch the numbers. As more flooding, erosion and invasive plants are impacting Pennsylvania's trails, groups are working to make trail systems more climate resilient. This November, the Pennsylvania legislature could get a makeover.  What are the stakes for the General Assembly in this election?  We have news about why e...

This week on The Allegheny Front, during the COVID pandemic, a coal-fired power plant that was a way of life for many in one community closed. We traveled there to learn how they memorialized it. As more severe storms cause downed trees and dump water on Pennsylvania, insurance premiums could rise. A Pennsylvania task force charged with figuring out how to get more homes in the state covered by fl...

This week on The Allegheny Front, the huge, federally funded hydrogen hub based on natural gas is getting started in Appalachia. The Department of Energy has promised transparency for the project, but some were not reassured after their latest public meeting. The climate law President Biden signed two years ago can help homeowners get money back for investing in solar panels, but there are tax bre...