Residents and activists say the project will increase air pollution and lock in reliance on fossil fuels. They claim institutional racism is involved in the decision.
Revenue like bonus, rental, and penalty payments from oil and gas drilling in state forests must go toward conservation, not balancing the state budget.
The pipeline was only opened for a week when it exploded and forced evacuations. Six high-voltage electric transmission towers and an electrical line were also destroyed.
The Physicians for Social Responsibility found PFAS was used in 1,200 wells in six states. Although no evidence shows that PFAS was used in Pennsylvania, “we can’t be confident that we know everything."
The study found that Allegheny County would be the third biggest beneficiary in the country, with an estimated 87 fewer deaths per year by 2030. Pennsylvania would have 580 fewer deaths.
The Wolf administration hopes to join the cap-and-trade program in early 2022. DEP estimates it will prevent 97-227 million tons of carbon emissions from power plants through 2030 and raise $131-187 million annually.
