We have the details about a tentative settlement between U.S.Steel and plaintiffs in a lawsuit over the 2018 fire at its coke works that knocked out pollution controls for three months. We also hear from the author of a new book about phosphorus, why humans have gone to great lengths to get it for farming, and how it is fueling harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. Plus, we meet critters that are using a new, springtime habitat in the Laurel Highlands. And the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania will be closed by July.
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- The Phosphorus Paradox: We use it to grow food, but it’s poisoning our water - Phosphorus, a key ingredient in agricultural fertilizers, is fueling harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.
- Frogs and Salamanders Get a New Habitat at Ohiopyle State Park - Amphibians will use a vernal pool to mate and lay eggs. Their young will mature in the temporary pond and then head back into the woods. They will return next year to continue the cycle.
- Homer City — Pa.’s largest coal-fired power plant — will close in July - The announcement means all five of the state’s remaining coal plants are slated to be shut down or converted to natural gas by 2028.
- U.S. Department of Justice sues Norfolk Southern, claiming Clean Water Act violations - The DOJ claims the company unlawfully discharged pollutants and hazardous materials from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
- U.S. Steel reaches tentative settlement with Allegheny County, groups over air pollution following 2018 fire - The federal lawsuit had asked for $42 million fine for U.S. Steel under the Clean Air Act. The fire knocked out pollution controls for more than 100 days.