The Allegheny Front

At a contentious meeting, an Ohio commission delayed a vote to approve fracking under state parks. A production about fossil fuel extraction is headed to western Pennsylvania. “Ezell, Ballad of a Land Man” delves into the complex issues of fracking and belonging. We talk with its writer and a local advocate about why it resonates with our region. Plus, we head to an orchard in Mercer County using regenerative farming techniques like spreading manure from local goats. And we stop at the first-ever Pittsburgh County Fair celebrating urban farming. 

Groups say proposals to use fracked natural gas to produce hydrogen in Western Pennsylvania pose health and climate risks. An investigation in Ohio alleges that many people whose names are on public comments in favor of fracking in state parks say they did not submit them. We'll also hear from an author who revisited the Youghiogheny River of his youth to find some changes for the better. Plus, the federal government wants to put the salamander mussel on the endangered species list. We revisit a story that joins researchers surveying the Allegheny River for the mudpuppy salamander that's critical for the mussel's survival. 

Invasive snails have gained a foothold in Pennsylvania, crowding out native species. We join a team surveying Lake Erie for mysterysnails.  We talk to people are dealing with the latest summer heat wave about their thoughts on climate change.  And a new documentary takes a fresh look at the life and death of coal in Appalachia. Plus, we take a look at what's next for Hays Woods, Pittsburgh's newest city park. News about PFAS, Pennsylvania's Trail of the Year, and spotted lanternflies in Pittsburgh. 

A new distillery in Northwestern Pennsylvania makes alcohol from sunflowers but also has an environmental education center and the world's longest bar made from a continuous piece of wood. We head to the Boundary Waters and Canoe Area Wilderness on Minnesota's border with Canda, where researchers and Indigenous leaders are reviving an age-old tradition of using fire to manage the land. We have news about a plan to bow hunt in two Pittsburgh parks to manage deer, a vote to create a climate action plan in Allegheny County, and criticism of a request to burn tires at a waste coal plant. 

Many people are paying stormwater fees on their utility bills, but don't really understand the projects they fund are helping to reduce pollution and flooding from storms. And, a new video series gives tips on combatting climate change through things we can control at home. Plus, finding ways to make a wedding more sustainable can feel overwhelming, but there are afforable ways to say "I do" to a greener wedding. News about the Chesapeake Bay, new electric vehicle charging stations coming to Pa., spotted lanternflies are decreasing in parts of the state, and why one borough is suspending its climate program.

A recent study found children living near gas wells had an increased risk of developing a cancer called lymphoma, while people with asthma had a four to five times greater chance of having an asthma attack. One researcher calls the results "a bombshell." We have reactions from parents and activists at a community meeting to address the health concerns. And, a new investigation looks at how well Pennsylvania is monitoring Shell's ethane cracker in Beaver County and how the company reports incidents at the plant. Plus, a champion stone skipper who got his start on Lake Erie talks about his technique.

The federal government is considering the creation of a marine sanctuary in the Pennsylvania portion of Lake Erie to help preserve shipwrecks--but it won't stop recreation on the lake. We'll also sort the facts from fiction when it comes to the concerns over solar panel installations. Plus, we'll hear from the author of a new book on climate resilience who hopes to offer strategies to deal with the climate crisis so no one is left behind. News about solar on farms and schools, the cost of climate adaptation for Pa. municipalities, the price tag for a year without RGGI in Pennsylvania, and why more men are being exposed to harmful chemicals in personal care products.

We head to Cumberland County, where hikers who make it to the halfway point on the Appalachian Trail are taking part in a tradition and friendly competition of eating a half gallon of ice cream. Also, we talk to experts about how global heatwaves this summer are directly tied to climate change. We'll also learn why Western Pennsylvania is critical to stopping the spread of raccoon rabies. Plus, we talk with a Pennsylvania photographer who won a national prize for capturing the image of a female Baltimore oriole collecting horsehair for her nest.

We talk with scientists who discovered that a songbird rare in Pennsylvania is now breeding in the state. Plus, we explain why experts and community groups are calling for EPA to ban vinyl chloride, the chemical that was released and burned from train cars in the East Palestine derailment. And who is a relatively new air pollution rule in Allegheny County meant to protect? 

Smoke from this year's Canadian wildfire season is likely just the beginning. We talk with a fire ecology expert about the role of climate change and what can be done about it. Only a few states have constitutional amendments guaranteeing clean air and water. There's a movement to change that.  We'll also hear about a new study that looks at radioactive materials in waterways, which could have come from wastewater treatment plants that accept landfill runoff contaminated with fracking waste.