Pa.’s SPEED program lets developers skip line for environmental review of some construction permits
Developers support the program, saying "time is money." While environmental groups fear a "rubber-stamp" for construction permits.
Water
National water conference coming to Pittsburgh
The One Water Summit, an annual conference focused on sustainable and inclusive water management practices, comes to Pittsburgh in early July.
Ohio River restoration plan hopes to rally federal support for watershed
More than 30 million people across 14 states rely on the Ohio River watershed for drinking water, recreation, and for their local economies.
Pennsylvania water providers say they’re complying with federal PFAS regulations
The EPA last month proposed to give water providers more time to remove toxic PFAS chemicals from drinking water.
Pennsylvania American Water replacing lead service lines in Pittsburgh area
More than 350 lead service lines are being replaced in Mt. Oliver and Pittsburgh's Carrick neighborhood at no direct cost to customers.
Kayak tour allows Pittsburghers to transform trash into art
An event focused on interactive public art led a group to Turtle Cove along the Allegheny River. Participants collected trash and constructed sculptures.
River otters in Western Pennsylvania: An environmental success story
Otters once inhabited every river system in Pennsylvania, but by the early 1900s, most of them were gone. Now, they’re making a comeback.
Will Australia revisit the deal that led a Pittsburgh firm to depend on the ore beneath its trees?
Alcoa’s Western Australia division is one of the world's largest alumina producing operations. Some say its decades-old agreement puts drinking water at risk.
PA DEP OKs ‘Rustic Ridge’ coal mine expansion beneath PA Turnpike
The company will mine metallurgical coal, but an environmental group worries the project will exacerbate longstanding mine drainage problems in the Laurel Highlands.
EPA announces commitment to protect fish in the Delaware River
Parts of the river have low dissolved oxygen levels caused by ammonia discharges from wastewater facilities. The announcement comes after environmentalists took legal action to speed up the process.
