For this Labor Day weekend: An epidemic of fatal black lung disease among coal miners, a ride along with a wildlife officer and a profile of an energy auditor. Hundreds of parents petition Pittsburgh’s school district to stop spraying a controversial weed killer. News about Beaver County pipelines and the Clairton Coke Works.
LISTEN to the episode (29:00 minutes)
- The Black Lung Disease Epidemic that ‘Shouldn’t Have Happened’ - An NPR investigation into the regulatory failures — and the human costs, including to Pennsylvania miners — of a disease that has been described as "suffocating while alive."
- On Patrol in Pittsburgh’s Urban Wilds - With development encroaching on wild areas around Pittsburgh, encounters between wildlife and humans are becoming more common. It's Doug Bergman's job to keep the peace.
- What’s an Energy Auditor? Meet Virginia McGrath. - This energy efficiency expert has a dream to make old, dilapidated Pittsburgh homes as energy efficient as possible.
- Beaver County agency says DEP should let it keep reviewing pipeline permits - State pulled local conservation district's authority after 'poor' performance review.
- Hundreds of Parents Petition Pittsburgh Public Schools to Stop Herbicide Spraying - The controversial herbicide, Round Up, is linked to health problems like cancer. The school district is reconsidering its usage of the product.
- Groups Sue U.S. Steel Over Emissions Data - The lawsuit alleges the company withheld required pollution data after a fire on Christmas Eve.