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A new initiative called Prepare PA is gearing up to help Pennsylvanians face the big challenges of the climate crisis, like more extreme weather and flooding. And 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Women farmers in Pennsylvania talk about the growing diversity in agriculture. A sustainable farming group had a $59 million federal contract reinstated after the federal government tried to claw it back last year.

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Young people in Pittsburgh are practicing climate action close to home. An oil and gas company let over a million gallons of drilling fluid escape underground into an abandoned mine during pipeline construction in Washington County. Pennsylvania agencies are teaming up with a nonprofit to study ways to modernize the electric grid. An invasive species came to North America just when the United States was forming. Why Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with the Hessian fly.

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The Trump administration announced it would rollback a Biden-era rule on power plant emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin that impairs cognitive development in young children. During the State of the Union address President Donald Trump said he worked out a deal with energy-hungry data centers to build their own power plants. State officials are looking to curb Pennsylvania's ongoing outbreak of bird flu.

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This week, numerous health studies are ongoing following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio 3 years ago. When conventional oil and gas operators in Ohio started seeing fracking wastewater come up through their wells, they knew there was a bigger problem. January is national Radon Action Month, and that means it's time to test your home for the radioactive gas.

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This week, a new project will take on studying the risks of wildfire in Eastern states. Residents of an eastern Ohio town have concerns about fracking wastewater fouling their own water supply. As the Pittsburgh newspaper of record announces its closure, former employees look back and ahead at environmental coverage in the region. Pennsylvania lawmakers and consumer advocates blamed new data centers for rising home energy prices at policy hearing in the state Capitol. Researchers are trying to find new ways to remove microplastics and PFAS chemicals from drinking water. The arguments for and against starting deer season for firearms early in Pennsylvania.

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This week, demand for electricity is growing, largely from data centers. Meanwhile the Trump administration is making it harder to produce more renewable energy. Meta wants to purchase nuclear power from a power plant in western Pennsylvania. An Ohio commission approved another oil and gas lease under a state-owned wildlife area. Climate change might be causing native wildflowers to bloom earlier in Pennsylvania.

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This week, Inside Climate News tells us about their three-part investigation of solid fracking waste in Pennsylvania. We also look at the climate impacts of concrete, and talk with a couple that's taken their fascination with birds into the studio.

We have news about environmental groups objecting to an air quality permit for a natural gas plant at the site of the former coal plant in Homer City, Indiana County, and research shows that salt used for winter de-icing is being found in Pennsylvania waterways throughout the year.

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On this week's episode:

Some of our favorite stories from 2025 from across Pennsylvania: A nonprofit hopes to help landowners reclaim mineland in Appalachia by planting trees and selling carbon credits. The site of a recently retired coal plant in Indiana County is getting a new life – as a data center. What impact will this have on the electric grid, and the local community? River otters have made a comeback in Pennsylvania.

Trout in the Classroom participants said goodbye to their aquatic classmates. Students learn the power of farm to table. Proponents of sustainable clothing hope U.S. tariffs will persuade people to buy second hand.

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On this week's show:

Become a member today. Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by our members. Now through December 31st, every donation up to $1,000 will be matched. One-time donations will be doubled and monthly donations matched 12 times. Another $1,000 will be unlocked if we gain 50 new members at any amount.

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On this week's show:

Become a member today. Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by our members. Now through December 31st, every donation up to $1,000 will be matched. One-time donations will be doubled and monthly donations matched 12 times. Another $1,000 will be unlocked if we gain 50 new members at any amount.

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On this week's show:

Become a member today. Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by our members. Now through December 31st, every donation up to $1,000 will be matched. One-time donations will be doubled and monthly donations matched 12 times. Another $1,000 will be unlocked if we gain 50 new members at any amount.

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On this week's show:

Drilling for oil and gas creates waste that can contain heavy metals and radioactivity, and much of it is sent to the same landfills as our household trash. An investigation into how contamination from shale drilling waste can move from landfills into waterways without much oversight. Treating drinking water to prevent lead contamination might have the unintended consequence of higher phosphorus levels in urban waterways. Researchers are working to figure out the balance between how much carbon forests emit and how much they absorb.

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On this week's show:

An Allegheny County borough plans to vote next month on a plan to build a massive data center on the site of a former power plant. The U.S. has the largest collection of apples in the world – about 5,000 varieties. How cuttings from old apple tree varieties could have rare genes that fight off new threats to our food supply. A festival in central Pennsylvania celebrates the American chestnut while educating about its conservation struggles. Considering the sticker price of eggs, some in Pennsylvania are substituting other foods for eggs at breakfast. We head to a cabin in the woods to unplug.

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On this week's show:

The Ohio River Basin is poised for a multi-year ecological restoration after decades of industrial pollution, but only if Congress decides to fund it. Constellation Energy's project to restart a nuclear reactor at the former Three Mile Island plant in Dauphin County is getting a one billion dollar loan from the federal government. Allegheny County Council voted unanimously to approve a series of fee increases for facilities that produce air pollution. Ohio's Great Black Swamp might hold the key to reducing pollution in the Great Lakes. The first leg of a new trail system in Centre County, Pennsylvania, is ready for visitors. A percussionist from Brazil turns discarded objects into musical instruments.

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On this week's show:

The Trump administration is looking to boost coal production, and one company is planning to expand its coal mine in Western Pennsylvania. But some neighbors aren't on board. Energy efficiency tax credits that help the climate and people's budgets are expiring. But there's still a little time for consumers to act. The Pennsylvania budget deal meant getting rid of a major climate initiative. Environmentalists have filed a lawsuit to stop the expansion of a major natural gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Fifty years ago, the pride of the Great Lakes, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, sank with its crew.

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The Pennsylvania natural gas company CNX is suing a California-based news outlet for defamation in federal court over an article the news site published about the company's voluntary air monitoring initiative. A fungal disease has been killing hibernating bats in Pennsylvania. We'll hear from some of the people trying to save bats in the state. A group of seniors is using their retirement to track microplastics in streams and in the lab. A writer contemplates the legacy of the trash she finds on her Westmoreland County farm.

A natural gas driller, Senceca Resources, is facing criminal charges over its fracking operations in North Central Pennsylvania. A new, animated map shows how pollution spreads from more than 9,500 industrial sources worldwide. A new study shows America's "founding fish," the migratory American shad, is declining in the Delaware River.

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On this week's episode:

The round goby is a little fish causing big problems in Lake Erie. Pennsylvania is looking to anglers to help stop the invasive fish from spreading to inland waterways. In 1960, a diplomatic gift of 18 bluegill fish from the U.S. would change the underwater world of Japan forever. East Palestine, Ohio, residents got some results recently from research on the ongoing impact of the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment.

The DEP has issued a draft Clean Air Act permit to a natural gas-fired power plant in Westmoreland County, but the state has so far declined to host a public hearing. A zero-waste saw mill has opened in Allegheny County for fallen urban trees that would otherwise go to a landfill.

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On this week's episode:

Conservationists used fire to manage habitat in an Allegheny County meadow. The practice goes back centuries to Indigenous peoples. High-pressure water used in a maintenance procedure on a valve led to a fatal explosion in August at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works. A Pittsburgh-area manufacturer of next-generation batteries will expand operations next year. State lawmakers are considering how to prepare for an increase in data centers, looking to build in Pennsylvania.

And potato chips are getting pricey. Is growing potatoes amid a climate crisis part of the reason? A native growing group trying to convince the neighbors to tackle yard work more naturally.

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On this week's episode:

Our series about the Monongahela River continues with a look at pollution from a chemical plant along its banks. There is reporting that the hydrogen hubs planned for Pennsylvania might be scrapped under the Trump administration. We talk with the editor of a new magazine about recreation and the outdoors in our region. Three Pennsylvania cities were named among the worst places in the country for people living with asthma. Pennsylvania is rolling out the opportunity to glamp in eight state parks.

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On this week's episode:

The Monongahela River is still an industrial river. That doesn't stop people from using it for recreation, like open swimming. A new study looks at how climate change has impacted streams that native trout rely on. Water quality in Pennsylvania streams is being hindered by aging dams, many of which are dangerous and obsolete.

The Trump administration has reversed course and decided not to delay Biden-era rules limiting air pollution from the steel industry. Train derailments in the Pittsburgh region are more likely to happen in disadvantaged communities and near waterways. Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed a flood disclosure bill to help prospective home buyers recognize the risks of property located in flood-prone areas.

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On this week's episode:

And, the board investigating the August explosion at the Clairton Coke Works says the incident happened when a crew performed maintenance on a cracked gas valve. Pennsylvania's state House voted to create a state-backed insurance program to cover andslides and sinkholes.

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On this week's episode:

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On this week's episode:

We're launching a new series about the Monongahela River. From the mountains of West Virginia, through valleys, into downtown Pittsburgh, the Mon has seen industrial growth and decline, and weathered the pollution that came with it. The Mon and its tributaries are also home to wildlife facing new challenges, like the mussels of Dunkard Creek. Plus, we'll get a lesson on how to pronounce the river's name.

Food waste is a big climate problem. In Pittsburgh, you can drop off your food waste for composting at city-run farmers' markets. A startup is helping restaurants, schools and hospitals manage their food waste with a digester that fits into a shipping container. The easiest way to compost your food scraps might just be in your own backyard.

Dozens of schools in Pennsylvania are planning to build solar panels on their roofs despite federal tax credits ending early. A new report casts doubt on the economic impact of natural gas production in Appalachia. Some Pa. residents in counties impacted by last year's Tropical Storm Debby say they're worried how the state will respond to future weather emergencies.

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This week on The Allegheny Front, we talk to a researcher who found that health improved for residents after the closure of a coke plant that processed coal for the steel industry. He said, "There was like a healing going on in the community as the cumulative impacts of the pollution were reduced."

We visit a glass recycling plant in Western Pennsylvania. Even though "glass is infinitely recyclable, which other systems can't necessarily tout," Pennsylvania is behind other states when it comes to glass recycling.

We also go underground for a tour of a cool tourist attraction in Potter County — the Coudersport Ice Mine, whose owners say this summer has been their best yet.

Plus, we have environmental news about a settlement to clean up plastic pollution in a tributary of the Ohio River, the restoration of funding for the federal electric vehicle charging station program and a study that says fracking hasn't been all that good for the regional economy.

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Farmers at an agricultural summit voiced concerns over how new tariffs might affect their customers who buy locally. With air monitors, an environmental group is publishing real-time pollution data for people who live near the ethane cracker and other industries in Beaver County. A Pittsburgh-based environmental group has issued a formal notice of intent to sue companies for polluting the Allegheny River with oil. Several dozen steelworkers and supporters marched in Downtown Pittsburgh to call for safer workplaces. Pennsylvania's elk cam has started up again for the rutting season.

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A computer scientist wanted to build a watch using a living organism. What ended up working was slime mold. An environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. A new study says schools across Pennsylvania aren't addressing environmental hazards in their buildings. The campgrounds at Raystown Lake closed because of a freeze on hiring workers are reopening on a phased schedule.

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An explosion at a U.S. Steel coke plant outside of Pittsburgh killed two workers and sent 10 to the hospital. We'll hear a worker's first-hand account of the incident and what nearby residents in the Mon River valley are saying. The plant has a history of maintenance problems, explosions, and environmental violations. Climate change is making it harder to keep invasive plants away from recreational trails in Pennsylvania. Volunteers are working to make trail systems more climate resilient.

The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled a $7 billion Biden-era program to build rooftop solar. Freshwater managers are warning that the millions of gallons of water that data centers use every day could stress public water supplies. Pennsylvania lawmakers want to ban certain firefighting foam that contains toxic PFAS. West Nile virus cases are climbing in Pennsylvania.

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The Trump administration has paused new rules that would have reduced air pollution from steel mills drifting into surrounding communities. What advocates and residents who live near U.S. Steel plants are saying. Wildfire smoke from Canada is contributing to home-grown air pollution, and what we can do about it. A Pittsburgh-area library is loaning gas-free cooktops for patrons to test out.

The families of four West Virginia children have sued a Pittsburgh-based gas producer over health effects from fracking. An annual road trip aimed at dispelling myths about electric vehicles stopped outside Pittsburgh. A new report from an environmental watchdog in Pittsburgh calls for stricter regulations on businesses that send pollution into rivers and streams. A Pennsylvania state law is coming to the rescue of abandoned boats on waterways and land.

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Electricity prices are rising, and many are pointing the finger at the new energy demand created by data centers. An energy expert on where this is all heading. The Trump administration is moving to overturn the scientific finding that greenhouse gases are bad for public health. A Washington County gas company is facing criminal charges for a massive leak at a gas storage field. More than two years after the disaster in East Palestine, lawmakers are still trying to increase safety regulations on railroads. We tag along on a wildflower hike in the incomparable Dolly Sods Wilderness.

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Solar installations on homes have been booming because of tax breaks from the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, those incentives are going away. Pennsylvania could also lose $156 million meant to help low-income people reduce their energy bills through solar power. But seventy acres of a former steel slag heap is almost cleaned up and ready to transform into a sea of solar panels. The price for energy is rising at the region's electric grid operator. Companies that mine metallurgical coal are now in line to receive a 2.5 percent tax credit thanks to President Trump's budget bill.

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President Trump was in Pittsburgh whipping up support for building data centers and the gas infrastructure to power them. But many worry that electricity ratepayers will get stuck with higher bills as demand for energy grows. A new online tool helps people who live near industrial facilities learn more about the chemicals and pollutants they're being exposed to. Clean air quality advocates in Allegheny County held a virtual town hall meeting this week to push for increasing certain industrial operating fees.

Cleanup work at a contaminated former dishware factory site in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, is underway. A new study shows that small differences in temperature within a farm field can affect how many bees it attracts.

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Business and industry leaders are talking a lot about the possibilities of AI, but the technology also comes with environmental costs. A longtime critic of the natural gas industry is leaving his post at an environmental nonprofit and recommends changing laws or making new ones. A book that asks what we can learn from going back millions of years into Earth's history that could help us survive the climate crisis. What do everyday people think about the climate-related extreme weather we've been experiencing?

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Swimmer's itch is a rash you can get from swimming in lakes, so researchers working in the Great Lakes have tried to eradicate it by treating ducks that carry the parasite that causes it. Nothing has worked, and people have started thinking about the problem of swimmer's itch differently. It has been five years since a Pennsylvania grand jury report slammed state regulators for not protecting residents from the impacts of fracking. Advocates want Governor Josh Shapiro to do more. Environmental groups will soon be canvassing Southwestern Pennsylvania on foot, by car, and by drone in an effort to find abandoned oil and gas wells.

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Pennsylvania leaders say the state needs more energy, so there's a plan to create a board to streamline the siting of new power projects. Environmental groups and others are split on the idea. Environmental groups in Western Pennsylvania want to meet with officials from Nippon Steel to discuss how it plans to clean up its newly acquired U.S. Steel plants in the region. Residents who live along the Mountain Valley gas pipeline are still worried a year later about their health and safety. A new exhibit at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden plays with the idea of movement.

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The Ohio River Basin provides millions of people with water, but it's one of the most polluted river systems in America. A plan to clean up the Ohio River goes public. Are President Trump and congressional Republicans going to tank America's EV industry before it can get off the ground? An effort to make buildings in Pittsburgh more efficient meets a milestone. A portion of land in Somerset County, Pa., part of a critical ecosystem, has been protected through a recent land acquisition.

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This week, the approval of a coal mine expansion in Western Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands has residents worried. Also, more than 100 mine researchers and engineers at a federal office in Allegheny County are slated for termination. We talk with Pittsburgh journalists who were asked by Australians to report about Alcoa's mining operations near an ancient forest there. Cicadas make their 17-year appearance in central Pa.

We have news about rollbacks to power plant rules, cuts to solar tax credits, a new state energy siting board and menstrual products in state parks.

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After Traci Lynn Martin's mom died, she knew she couldn't keep putting off her dream: becoming the first person to kayak around the Great Lakes in one year. So she quit her job as a nurse, cashed out part of her retirement savings, and set out to accomplish her goal. We have the story of her journey. We head to the Allegheny River for a kayak tour with a unique twist, participants made art together.

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River otters have made a comeback in Pennsylvania. Veterans are building a sunflower garden for a community, but also helping each other adjust to non-military life in the process. A former dairy farmer turned musician uses his story to get others in agriculture to talk about their feelings and find healing.

Plus, Pittsburgh's parks rank 15th out of 100 cities in the United States. With a hot summer forecasted, federal regulators are warning the margins between electricity supply and demand are shrinking.

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A new outdoor recreation area in a Pittsburgh park is meant to include people of all abilities. When hikers make it to the halfway point on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, there's a tradition of eating a half gallon of ice cream. An environmental reporter shifts his perspective by leaning into the landscape. A network of trails in Northeast Pennsylvania that follows old railroad corridors is now carrying economic development across the region.

From our archives, how a 67-year-old grandmother hiked the Appalachian Trail in just a pair of Keds. And the Brood 14 cicadas are now emerging.

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A nonprofit hopes to help landowners reclaim mineland in Appalachia by planting trees and selling carbon credits. Their first partner is the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. A bill in the Pennsylvania legislature would withhold funding from communities that try to restrict shale gas drilling because of pollution and disruption. De-paving parties involve hard hats, sledgehammers, and a lot of volunteers to create space for water drainage and gardens.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over the state's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as RGGI. A southwestern Pennsylvania state senator says his new bill could encourage new investment in aging steel plants. Visitors to Raystown Lake can now contribute to its conservation efforts through a citizen science mobile app.

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Last year, workforce development organizations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were awarded a $15 million EPA grant to train people in landscaping and tree pruning, and to expand their services. But the federal government just terminated the grant. A new map shows there have been important federal investments in clean energy across Pennsylvania, but as federal dollars to support climate initiatives become uncertain, more action is needed. A reporter was stopped by police for asking follow-up questions at an oil and gas committee meeting.

Also, an Ohio Commission approved putting another parcel of an eastern Ohio Wildlife Area up for bid by fracking companies. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over pausing all wind permits. Solar power set records in April in the regional grid, which includes Pennsylvania.

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The future of the Endangered Species Act is in question. A bill to amend it was recently introduced in Congress, and environmentalists are taking issue with it. Attacks by black bears are exceedingly rare, but they do happen. How proximity to humans and our pets could be pushing some species, like black bears, to act erratically. Pittsburgh International Airport is doubling the size of its solar field about a mile from the main terminal.

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Cement is the glue that keeps concrete together, and it has a big carbon footprint. That's a problem for a warming planet. A Johnstown-based mining company has gotten the go-ahead to expand an underground coal mine in Westmoreland County. The site of a demolished coal-fired power plant is being redeveloped to build a massive gas-fired power plant and data center. The American Lung Association gave Pittsburgh's air quality an "F" in its latest annual report.

Proponents of sustainable fashion hope tariffs on cheap clothes from overseas will turn consumers on to thrift shopping. Autistic students at a Philly public school are learning life skills by growing their own food. Trump administration cuts are hitting small organic farmers, including freezing a project to jumpstart the production of flax. Students in Pennsylvania's Trout in the Classroom program. recently said goodbye to their aquatic classmates.

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President Trump gives coal power plants an extension on complying with new mercury pollution standards. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is looking to roll back many other climate and environmental regulations faster than the normal process of appealing these rules allows. Invasive plant species like thorny multiflora rose are damaging Pennsylvania forests. A Pittsburgh natural history museum is taking a closer look at the problem.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has begun its annual Black Fly Suppression Program. Camping reservations are up at Pennsylvania's state parks and forests.

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The site of a recently retired coal plant in Indiana County is getting a new life as a data center. Plans have been scrapped for a controversial plastic recycling plant in Erie. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to boost coal production, but it may not do much to reverse the industry's fortunes. A new book highlights the natural beauty of the Youghiogheny River.

Nearly 2,000 top scientists, engineers and medical researchers signed a letter saying that the Trump administration is decimating the nation's scientific enterprise. Federal funding for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub could be on the chopping block according to reporting by Politico. A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal miners. Federal energy labs in Southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia could become the sites for data centers to support artificial intelligence. The EPA announced it will finalize water quality standards to protect fish in a portion of the Delaware River.

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Solar advocates fear a rider attached to a low-income solar bill in the PA House will upend roof-top solar. The former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, responds to the Trump administration's plans to mine public lands for more energy resources. The owners of a recently demolished coal-fired power plant in Homer City, PA announced the site will become a data center powered by the largest natural gas plant in the country. The CEO of Appalachia's biggest natural gas producer says more pipelines are coming as data centers expand and coal plants retire in West Virginia.

Also, some Pennsylvania meteorologists say they're worried about recent federal cuts to the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Youth plaintiffs sought to hold the U.S. government accountable for climate-warming policies but the Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal. A group of residents in Kane, Pennsylvania are asking the borough to loosen its small animal ordinance amid high egg prices and a rising interest in raising backyard chickens. And we learn to make an egg alternative: scrambled tofu.

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President Trump is a big supporter of coal, and that's giving some in the industry hope for a comeback. But others don't see any future for coal. EPA employees and people retired from the agency rallied in Philadelphia to protest the Trump Administration's efforts to reshape the agency. How environmentalists are reacting to the Environmental Protection Agency's intention to rollback 31 regulations. We talk with a young climate organizer for her tips for moving the needle on the climate crisis.

Governor Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania will appeal a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to abruptly end a contract for the state's farmers and food banks. Advocates say a U.S. Supreme Court ruling chips away at clean water protections.

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Fracking under Ohio parks is moving forward, but park visitors have mixed reactions about the industry. The ethane cracker in Beaver County has only been operating for a few years, but its owners may be looking to sell. We talk with the lead author of a new study on the connection between infant mortality and lead exposure.

In another blow to the offshore wind industry, the Environmental Protection Agency has pulled a permit for the Atlantic Shores project in New Jersey. Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County is cancelling this year's campground reservations, citing staff shortages amid recent federal job cuts and hiring freezes. To help protect wildlife and prevent vehicle collisions with animals, a environmental research group is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to better support wildlife corridor projects.

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The future of nuclear energy might be microreactors. With new air monitors, an environmental group is publishing real-time pollution data for people who live near the ethane cracker and other industries in Beaver County. How bird flu and the price of eggs are influencing Pennsylvania consumers.

And, the new head of the EPA announced sweeping plans to roll back 31 separate environmental protections. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and a crypto mining company have agreed to speed the cleanup of the company's unpermitted coal ash dumping.

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Provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made it easier for churches and schools to install solar panels. How will the Trump administration impact the growth of solar in Pennsylvania? A hazardous waste landfill in Westmoreland County has been a thorn in the side of nearby residents for decades. To fight plastic pollution in the Great Lakes, scientists are calling for a more unified effort in the region.

Residents living within a mile of a U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, near Pittsburgh, have until March 17 to opt out of a class action settlement over alleged air pollution. Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources wants forest owners to help fight spongy moths. Conservationists look for Northern flying squirrels in the Poconos.

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Faith leaders, environmental advocates, and community organizers met for Pittsburgh's first-ever Multi-Faith Community Forestry Summit. A unique partnership between a botanical garden and a bird rescue uses plant waste that would be composted to help injured birds.

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Also, new research from Drexel University finds kids in Philadelphia continue to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. More than $15 million were awarded to projects across the state that protect land and restore local watersheds, and the Delaware River is the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year.

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Plus, bird flu is spreading to mammals. A new report finds since the construction of Shell's ethane cracker Beaver County's economy and population continue to decline. Pittsburgh rallies for climate action, and Pennsylvania could get its first underground state park.

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Also, in his budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro said he plans to lower energy costs for families. Owners of the Mountain Valley Pipeline have asked federal regulators to approve a new, modified plan for an extension of the pipeline to take natural gas further south into North Carolina. A new lawsuit claims for the first time that people died because of the derailment and chemical contamination in East Palestine.

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Also, Gov. Josh Shapiro touts an agreement to prevent spike in electricity bills. Fifteen environmental justice communities in Allegheny County are now eligible to receive funds to address climate change. A festival in central Pennsylvania celebrates the American chestnut, while educating about its conservation struggles.

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In its last days, the Biden Administration awarded Pennsylvania money to launch rebate programs for electric appliances like heat pumps and home improvements that conserve energy.

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Plus, could climate polluters face criminal charges in Pennsylvania for causing or risking a catastrophe? Suicide prevention in rural areas is a focus at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and how ice jams cause flooding.

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And, Congress approved an extension of the Farm Bill in December but has yet to pass a new five-year version. Pennsylvania's state amphibian, the Eastern hellbender, could soon get federal protections. Vultures have a bad reputation, but a bird lover says they're worth a second look.

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This week's episode:

Our favorite stories from 2024. Potato chips are getting more expensive--is climate change part of the reason? A new book out this year looks at radioactivity in the oil and gas industry, and its impacts on workers. The largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania closed. For some, it's been hard to accept. We'll revisit Homer City. And the effort to build a nearly 50-mile loop of trails in Rothrock State Forest in Centre and Huntingdon Counties got a boost from the state.

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This week's episode:

Twenty-five million people live in the Ohio River watershed, and some don't have clean water to drink. A report out earlier this year is one step in the effort to get federal funding to restore the Ohio and its communities. A kayak tour this summer on the Allegheny River had a unique twist: participants also made art together. The author of a book about deer and our sometimes complicated relationship with them says she developed a sort of gratitude for the animals. A Pittsburgh environmental activist celebrated a milestone this year for the grassroots lecture series she founded 12 years ago.

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This week's episode:

The general public's views on climate change in Sweden aren't that different from those in the U.S. So why are Sweden's climate policies so much more advanced? It's the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, but even today, not everyone benefits equally. Plus, we head out on a winter tree ID walk.

Also, heading home for the holidays by plane could mean a lot of climate pollution. Penn State has entered into an agreement with the PA Department of Environmental Protection over the presence of PFAS at the State College Regional Airport, and how to keep your home comfortable as temperatures drop.

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Companies in Sweden are beginning to make steel without fossil fuels. Can it work in the US, which still relies on coal? A holiday shopping guide aims to make it easier to choose refurbished electronics to fulfill your gift list, It's December and that means migrant crows set up winter roosts in cities.

Also, PennEnergy will pay a $2 million civil penalty, and reduce pollution from its facilities, in a proposed settlement with the Justice Department. The Mountain Valley Pipeline has had more issues with erosion control. An energy company with facilities in Turtle Creek, in Allegheny County, just got a boost from the U.S. Department of Energy. More than $3 million in new federal funds will help conserve trout streams in the mountainous areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York in the first tri-state initiative of its kind in the Delaware River watershed. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is about to take flight.

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This week's show:

Steel is a major contributor to climate change. Companies in Sweden are starting to solve this problem by making steel with renewable energy. Some cooks ditch their gas stoves for induction cooking because of air quality and energy use. This summer two chicks of a bird species that hasn't successfully bred in Pennsylvania for over 60 years flew from their nest.

Also, human-caused climate change increased damaging wind speeds for every hurricane in 2024. More than 40 million dollars in federal climate money is going to help Pennsylvania farmers. More wildfires have burned in Pennsylvania this fall than in the traditional spring fire season. Some experts say the storm that dumped 6 feet of snow on Erie, Pennsylvania this week is climate change in action.

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Pennsylvania's trees are facing a multitude of threats including fungus, insects, and worms, like the ones that cause beech leaf disease. American chestnut trees once thrived in our region, but 150 years ago a fungus wiped them out. Researchers and advocates are trying to bring them back, but they disagree on how to do it. Plus, we tag along with a crew trying to save hemlock trees from a sap-sucking invasive pest.

A researcher in Ohio was surrounded by hundreds of dead ash trees that the emerald ash borer, a beetle, had wiped out. But in that same forest, she found a lone tree thriving. Could this tree be the key to saving ash from extinction?

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The Northeast has faced a record-breaking drought this fall. It's impacting trees, including the ones we put in our homes at Christmas. Most steel is made using coal. A new report says emissions from plants that are part of this traditional steelmaking have serious consequences for public health. A new exhibit looks at the environmental implications of our fashion choices.

Also, there's been a sharp decline in several Pennsylvania bat species from white-nose syndrome. A new federal conservation plan aims to keep development projects from making things worse. ClearWater Conservancy recently received two grants to help pay for its new Community Conservation Center, which will serve as a hub for land conservation and watershed protection in central Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is hopeful a state ban on Sunday hunting will be completely lifted next year. After an explosion at a fracking waste disposal site last year, nearby residents had concerns about impacts on health and the environment.

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Also, an environmental group wants state regulators to tighten water pollution restrictions on a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh which has released oil into the Monongahela River. Friends of the Riverfront released a new plan for recreation in Pittsburgh's three rivers. PECO, formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company, has agreed to add solar energy to its mix of sources that generate electricity for customers in southeast Pennsylvania.

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Also, Pennsylvania will receive about $245 million this year to clean up abandoned mine lands. With the presidential election just days away, environmental justice advocates see high stakes for their communities. How the practice of forest bathing can relieve stress and put us in touch with nature.

Also, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant owner says it should be technically easy to restart after five years because all essential equipment is in good condition. Former coal communities ask the Biden and Trump campaigns for more investment. Vice President Kamala Harris would continue to develop offshore wind energy, but former President Trump wants to reverse course.

Also, new federal funds will help remove lead paint in buildings across Pennsylvania. A nonprofit is launching a pilot project in Pennsylvania to lease rooftop solar installations to low- and moderate-income residents. Pittsburgh is one of 10 U.S. cities being awarded federal funding to support urban agriculture.

Also, lead drinking water pipes in the U.S. must be removed within 10 years. A new survey looks at Pennsylvanians' attitudes toward fracking. A Weirton plant that makes batteries to store wind and solar energy gets a $150 million grant from the Department of Energy.

Also, EPA has finalized a consent order with a hazardous waste landfill to lower its pollution discharges into a Westmoreland County stream. Two Clearfield County municipalities are taking steps toward creating whitewater recreation parks. And passengers who ride buses in the Greater Philadelphia area could find themselves on one powered by hydrogen starting this fall.

A judge signed off on a 600 million dollar settlement between Norfolk Southern and people who live near the East Palestine train derailment. But many are unhappy with the outcome. A new study looks at the influence of oil and gas industry donations on university research. Survivors of the worst industrial accident in world history in Bhopal, India visited Beaver County to talk about the multi-generational impacts of the chemical disaster and lessons for those living near chemical infrastructure in Pennsylvania.

Also, there are mixed reactions from residents, environmentalists and the business community as the Three Mile Island nuclear facility plans to reopen. Allegheny County Health Department held a public hearing in the Mon Valley about an air quality permit for U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Works. Wasting resources from the land has a big impact on climate change, so we have tips for cutting emissions from your food and yard.

A Pennsylvania-based driller is promoting its own data showing fracking poses no health risks. But public health experts are skeptical. Erie residents have questions about how a huge, proposed plastic recycling plant could impact them. We're not going to buy our way out of the climate crisis. What we can do instead.

Also, some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to repeal a regulation that would charge power plants for their climate-warming emissions. New measurements show climate pollution is escaping oil and gas production hubs at an estimated 4 times the amount companies report to regulators. Allegheny County plans to award 5 million dollars in grants to projects aimed at improving the region's air quality. But no one has applied.

Plus, a new analysis finds state laws do not protect students from lead in school drinking water, and the Altoona school district responds to its failing grade on lead. Meanwhile, more than a hundred school districts across Pennsylvania will receive state funding for environmental repairs.

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We have news about why environmental groups are suing the EPA over new coke oven rules, why summertime brings more water pollution and what a new federal grant will do to improve the Delaware River watershed.

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We have news about Asian carp in the Great Lakes, horseshoe crabs, a new solar program for schools and a fee for electric vehicles.

We have news about the Appalachia hydrogen hub and planting native vegetation along Pa. highways.

We have news about Pa.'s budget, heat islands in Pa. cities, and a new dark sky park in the works.

We have news about pollution from gas stoves, another mishap at the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a new director of the Allegheny County Health Department and a debate in the state legislature about renewable energy goals.

We have news about toxic PFAS in school drinking water, concerns about a possible new gas pipeline and an innovative hive to encourage beekeeping.

Plus, we talk with a family participating in Black Birders Week for the first time. We have news about a whistleblower's claim against EPA's East Palestine clean-up, PFAS in Pennsylvania's water systems and the Mountain Valley Pipeline's approval to begin transporting gas to Virginia.

We have news about how a new coke oven rule will impact the Clairton Coke Works, a celebration at Raystown Lake and a water trail along the Schuylkill River.

We have news about federal money for cleaner school buses, demands for transparency about the Appalachian hydrogen hub project from a coalition of community and environmental groups, and a new report about the carbon emissions of Pittsburgh buildings.

We have news about the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund and a new training effort for energy efficiency jobs.

We have news about Pittsburgh Regional Transit's climate plan, installation of lead-filtering water fountains at Pittsburgh Public Schools, problems along the Mountain Valley Pipeline and more.