The Allegheny Front

Fifty years ago, parts of the Delaware River stank, and fish couldn't survive in it. We look at how the Clean Water Act helped to revive this dead river. And, we have the first installment of a new series highlighting Black urban farmers growing food to sustain their communities. Plus, a new collection of climate fiction looks forward to a better world for the environment and for people.

We answer your questions about the impact of Shell's ethane cracker on the region's jobs, property values, and of course, air pollution. Meanwhile, the state health department is funding the University of Pittsburgh to study the impacts of fracking on health, but both groups pulled out of a public meeting about the work. We'll also hear about a nature preserve in Wyoming County that's now one of three new Pennsylvania parks.

In dozens of Pennsylvania towns, underground steam systems that heat buildings could be re-vamped to be powered by renewable energy. But there's competition: cheaper natural gas. We'll also hear from President Biden's climate envoy about what it will take to meet climate change goals. Plus, a new documentary tells the story of a small, rural town trying to keep a fracking waste injection well out of its community to preserve its drinking water and save a rare salamander. News about PFAS in fracking wastewater in Ohio.

This week, we learn about why white oak trees are in trouble and the lawsuit over a plan to cut them down in the Wayne National Forest. We also talk about the underground network that connects trees in forests. Plus, the story of a hunter who discovered a full-grown American chestnut tree in a Delaware forest. News about a global clean energy conference in Pittsburgh, pipelines, and spotted lanternflies.

Climate change is fueling more flooding in Pennsylvania and throughout the Ohio Valley. We'll look at the relationship between climate change, flooding and extreme weather. And we'll hear about how one town in Pennsylvania is trying to get ahead of the problem. Plus, it's the 60th anniversary of the publication of a book that questioned the indiscriminate use of synthetic chemicals and became an instant classic: Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring."

Street trees help cool cities, filter rainwater, and prevent flooding. We look at how Pennsylvania cities are overcoming barriers to planting more. In Huntington County, birders and naturalists oppose new development next to a wetland. Plus, the creation of the Flight 93 National Memorial to honor those who died there on 9/11 included treating mine pollution in the water nearby.

PFAS, called forever chemicals, is the latest worry over fracking. We talk to a reporter about how PFAS found in one man's well water could have come from fracking. One year later, the impacts of Hurricane Ida linger for people in Pennsylvania. And, we talk with a conservationist about purple martins, which need human-made birdhouses to keep them from going extinct in the eastern U.S.

For those new to Pittsburgh, the realization that the air isn’t always healthy to breathe can come as a shock. That’s what happened to producer Susan Scott Peterson and her family. This is a special episode about the air we breathe, the risks we live with, and what it means to become a citizen of a place.

A new study finds children living near fracking sites in Pa. are at an increased risk of leukemia. Meanwhile, Energy Transfer is held criminally responsible for the damage done during the construction of its Mariner East pipeline. And, a small group of workers is getting rid of the invasive plants in a Pittsburgh park…and they have four legs. Plus, a landmark climate law was signed by President Biden this week. A high school student says we should thank the activists, not the politicians. 

This week, we explore how tourism impacts local communities and their natural resources like the Canaan Valley in West Virginia. It's become a trendy tourist destination, which is good for business, but it's straining the resources of a county with just 7,000 year-round residents. We take a trip to Appalachia's Ice Mountain, where rare plants have existed since the Ice Age, and cool air seeps out of ice vents deep in the rocks. Plus, a conversation with Pennsylvania's first director of outdoor recreation.