Crime and Justice
Republican Lawmakers Defend Shale Gas Industry; Grand Jury Says PA Failed To Protect Public From Fracking
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Secretary of Environmental Resources and Energy panel said he was offended by AG’s characterization of natural gas industry
Crime and Justice
PA Grand Jury Report On Fracking: State Failed To Protect Public Health
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Grand jury makes proposals on regulation, oversight of fracking industry
Energy
PA Says 2 Gas Drilling Companies Committed Environmental Crimes. Here’s Why People Are Rarely Charged
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“When a crime is committed because of how a company does business, rather than an individual’s actions, we charge the company.”
Environment
With Lake Ontario Below 2019 Levels, IJC Resumes Adherence To “Plan 2014”
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By lowering the outflows from Lake Ontario, the Board hopes to make navigation in the St. Lawrence River safer and raise the water levels in Lake St. Louis.
Trump Administration Limits New York’s Power To Stop Oil And Gas Pipelines
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In recent years, climate activists and states have used the Clean Water Act to block pipelines and other fossil fuel projects. A new EPA rule makes that harder,
Memorial Day Brings Families and Friends Together in State Parks
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“It’s a beautiful day, we’re not stuck in the house, you know, driving each other bonkers.”
Energy
Study Finds Methane Leaks In PA Much Higher Than State Reports
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Estimates don’t capture leaks from ‘abnormal’ conditions, Environmental Defense Fund says
App NEWS
Coronavirus Delays Conservation Efforts In Pennsylvania
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“The whole spring season is basically lost.”
App NEWS
Pipeline Explosion Resulted In Huge State Fine. Now, PA Has Found Hundreds Of New Violations
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Regulator, company at odds over erosion, hillside slips
Environment
New York’s Plastic Bag Ban Effectively On Hold
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“The science just does not back up shifting to plastic bags. But everyone is trying to make the best of a really difficult situation.”
Energy
The Struggling Coal Industry Hammered Further By Coronavirus
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‘Everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong’
50 Years After Its Debut, New York Professor Explores The ‘Genius Of Earth Day’
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“Politicians took notice. Nothing like this had ever happened. It was obvious that people really cared more than anyone had known about clean air and clean water.”
App NEWS
On 50th Anniversary Of Earth Day, Social Distancing Could Bring People Back To Nature
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“I think it is a good time to reflect on the power of nature, and where we were as a planet 50 years ago, and where we want to get.”
Environment
Can Air Pollution Make Coronavirus Worse? Scientists Say Yes
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“I think that we would have a less severe outbreak if we had lower levels of air pollution.”
Environment
After Delay Over Water Levels, Shipping Season Opens On Lake Ontario
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“We were able to contribute to lake levels being fairly stable through the month of March compared with historic records.”
Environment
COVID-19 Prompts EPA To Relax Enforcement, But State And Local Governments Do Most Of The Oversight
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Federal agency said new policy doesn’t mean facilities can exceed allowed pollution limits
App NEWS
Spring Is Here, But Is Nature In Sync?
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“Trees, as a group, are more responsive to these temperature shifts than wildflowers,”
App NEWS
Mariner East Construction Back On After Waiver Requests Approved
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Wolf administration grants all of Energy Transfer’s waiver requests
App NEWS
PA’s Coronavirus Shutdown Order Appears To Include Mariner East Pipeline Construction
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Construction on the Mariner East pipeline appears to be halted by Gov. Wolf’s new order that shuts down all “non-life-sustaining” operations and businesses.
Environment
Great Lakes Governing Body Plans “Expedited Review’ Of Plan 2014
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It is a set of guidelines for how high and low water levels in Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence are allowed to get.
App NEWS
Medicaid, Education, Taxes and Vaccines: Lifton’s Last Town Hall in Ithaca
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Emotions quickly spilled over when Lifton opened the floor to discussion.
Featured in Category
Food CO-OP Calls New York’s Upcoming Plastic Bag Ban No Big Deal
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“We’re lucky that over half of our shoppers are already using reusable bags. We sell dozens of different kinds. It’s kind of a normal thing here.”
Trespassing Charges Dropped Against Ithaca Chase Bank Protesters
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The group said it occupied the bank to protest its investment in the fossil fuel industry.
Environment
New York Prepares For March 1st Plastic Bag Ban
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The Department of Environmental Conservation has stepped up its efforts in recent days to help New Yorkers understand the new rules.
Environment
Supporters/Opponents Find Fault With New York’s Plastic Bag Ban Regulations
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“They’re going to have a mess on their hands when this really goes into effect. There’s going to be some clean up on aisle three.”
The Annual Great Backyard Bird Count Has Begun
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The Count lasts four days from Friday through Monday, February 14-17, 2020. You don’t even have to have a backyard to participate.
App NEWS
PA Governor’s Cap-And-Trade Proposal Takes Step Forward
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DEP acting on governor’s executive order — which Republicans are challenging
Proposals To Ban Fracking Could Hurt Pennsylvania Democrats
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Some Democratic presidential candidates want to ban fracking to help address climate change. That attracts young people, but may alienate swing voters in key oil and gas states like Pennsylvania.
App NEWS
Feds Lower Coal Mine Cleanup Funds For PA
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Pennsylvania is getting less money from the federal government this year to clean up its old abandoned mines.
App NEWS
Budget Proposal Boosts Staff At PA’s Departments Of Environmental Protection, Conservation and Natural Rresources
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In annual budget address, Wolf talked about need for pipeline reform
App NEWS
Pennsylvania Poll Finds Registered Voters Split On Fracking Ban
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Support for a ban strong in cities and suburbs; weak in rural SW Pennsylvania
App NEWS
Governor’s Support For Petrochemicals Raises Climate Worries As PA Tries To Cut Carbon Emissions
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Plastics build-out could conflict with governor’s climate goals
App NEWS
Supporters Of March 1st Plastic Bag Ban Want More Publicity
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“We’re going to probably get some negative feedback those first few weeks as we try to transition.”
air quality
PA, New York Join Suit Against EPA Over Chemical-Safety Rules At Industrial Sites
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New York and Pennsylvania joined 12 other states and the District of Columbia in a federal lawsuit that says the new rules violate the Clean Air Act.
Education
In A Budget Preview, Governor Calls For A Deep Cleanup At PA Schools
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His latest ask is more than a billion dollars to clean up lead and asbestos in Pennsylvania’s schools, houses and water systems.
binghamton
Wegmans’ Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Begins
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The grocery chain is getting an early start on the state-wide ban, which begins in March.
App NEWS
Environmentalists Commend/Challenge Cuomo’s Climate Initiative Budget
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“If we want to lower our transportation emissions, we have to address getting people out of their personal vehicles or ensuring that the personal vehicles that are left become electrified more rapidly.”
App NEWS
PFAS Chemicals Detected In Water Supplies Nationwide
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In Philadelphia, the survey found two of the most commonly researched PFAS chemicals at levels far below the EPA’s recommended limit.
Energy
PA Orders Range Resources To Clean Up Its Act On Lycoming County Well
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DEP quietly withdrew the fine for faulty drilling after the company promised to fix the problems.
App NEWS
Despite GOP Compromise, PA Governor Says Drilling Bill Still Too Risky
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Republicans are pushing for looser regulations on conventional oil and gas drillers, who generally run small operations and work with relatively shallow wells.
Could Organic Solutions One Day Be Part Of De-Icing Strategy On New York Roads
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“We want to get the job done to make the roads safe, but I don’t want salt laying all over the roads and having piles of it. It’s not good for the environment.”
Energy
Trump Wants To Roll Back Environmental Reviews Of Major Projects Like Pipelines
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“What will change is the unchecked power of just a handful of opponents to delay or block development of critical infrastructure projects that benefit the greater good.”
E-Bikes Still Available In Ithaca Despite Veto By NY Governor
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Alderperson Seph Murtagh said the e-bikes fit in a gray area of the law.
Trump Seeks Environmental Rules Changes, New York Critics Say It Compromises Public Health
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Critics of his proposed changes say they would favor corporate interests over public health, allowing the potential for air and water quality to be compromised.
Economy
Goodwill Announces Date For Elimination Of Plastic Bags
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Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will remove the single-use bags from all of its Rochester and Syracuse area stores on Saturday, February 1. That’s a month ahead of the state-imposed ban which takes effect March 1.
Energy
Study: Replacing Coal Plants With Natural Gas Cuts Pollution, Saved Lives
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Fracking pollution not included in study; could lessen health benefits, author says
Environment
Wegmans Plastic Bag Ban Starts January 27
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Wegmans debuted the no-plastic policy at its Corning and Ithaca stores and called the pilot program successful.
App NEWS
Christmas Fern: An Evergreen New York Native
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The Christmas fern gets that name because the leaflets’ shape is similar to a Christmas stocking hung over the fireplace.
Environment
Outflows Increased From Lake Ontario
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Lake Ontario is still high – about 246 feet high. The Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board says they’re working to reduce levels as much as possible by spring.
App NEWS
Spencer-Van Etten Middle School Students Collect Broken Christmas Lights
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The goal is to keep the lights out of a landfill, but the school also plans to reclaim the copper wiring to raise a little money for a local charity.
App NEWS
New York Governor Proposes Ban On Foam Food Containers, “Packing Peanuts”
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The measure would make illegal the use of the plastic foam for single-use food containers by restaurants, caterers, food trucks, retail food stores, delis and grocery stores.
App NEWS
Supporters And Opponents Of Plastic Bag Ban Find Fault With New York’s Proposed Regulations
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State regulators have released new rules to enforce the changes, but groups on both sides of the issue say those rules are flawed.
App NEWS
Green Party Candidate Campaigns In 30 States In Bid To Win Presidential Nomination
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“I’ve been on the road pretty much constantly for six months.”
Economy
Scotland Is Turning PA’s Shale Gas Into Plastic. What Happens To It Next?
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Taxes and bans on single use plastics try to combat plastics in the oceans
Environment
Climate Activists Push New York For Tougher Vehicle Emissions Goals
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They’re delivering petitions to Albany this week, signed by more than 7,000 residents across the state who say they want New York to reduce vehicle emissions by 55 percent by 2035.
Exxon Wins New York Climate Change Fraud Case
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The state’s attorney general argued that the oil giant misled shareholders about the financial risks from climate change.
Tompkins County Warns Residents About Trash In Recycling Bins
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“Common sources of contamination include plastic bags, Styrofoam, padded envelopes, coffee cups, and cigarette butts.”
Environment
A Third Of PA Drinking Water Samples Contained Toxic Chemicals. The State Says There’s ‘No Widespread Contamination’
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Amid federal inaction, there’s no consensus on how much of the PFAS class of chemicals is too much.
Environment
Strong Winds Expected On Wednesday Throughout The Region
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Area utilities including RG&E, NYSEG and National Grid say they are getting crews in place to deal potential damage caused by downed trees and power lines.
Energy
Johns Hopkins Researcher: PA Should Ban Fracking
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“What would I say now? I would say because of the regional and local health concerns and concerns about climate change, we should stop fracking–everywhere.”
Environment
Tompkins County Passes Fee For Carryout Paper Bags
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The fee will not apply to people using SNAP or WIC
Energy
PA Lawmakers, Criticizing Executive Order On Cap-And-Trade Program, Say It’s Their Call To Make
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Proposed bill would require Legislature to OK Pennsylvania becoming part of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Featured in Category
Tompkins County Considers Paper Bag Fee
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Without the fee, Dawson said there is a risk Tompkins County will just swap one trash problem for another.
Economy
Despite Scotland’s Fracking Ban, Imported American Shale Gas Is Key To One Town’s Economy
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Natural gas is mostly used for heating homes or fueling power plants. But when it comes out of the ground, it contains another key ingredient — ethane, a building block of plastics.
App NEWS
Gillibrand Backs Bill That Limits Public Exposure To PFAS Chemicals
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PFAS chemicals are synthetic compounds used in many household products, including food packaging, household cleaners and nonstick cookware.
App NEWS
Tompkins County Invests in Reducing Carbon Emissions by 2035
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The Capital Plan is part of the county’s long term effort to bring down it’s carbon emissions to almost zero by 2035.
App NEWS
New Ethane Cracker Factories Raise Climate Change And Pollution Concerns
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To turn ethane into the building block of plastic, petrochemical companies are investing in ethane cracker plants, raising concerns about what these facilities could mean for air pollution and climate change.
Energy
PA Senator Takes Preventative Measures As Dems Call For Fracking Bans
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Pennsylvania’s Republican US Senator introduced a resolution he hopes will enable Congress to defeat future presidents’ fracking bans in court.
App NEWS
Ithaca Council Compromises On 2020 Budget For City’s Green New Deal
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The compromise comes after cries for more of an investment to fight climate change.
Energy
Trump Administration Proposes Rollbacks For Two Obama-Era Coal Pollution Rules
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Rules on coal ash ponds, wastewater from coal-fired power plants are targeted
App NEWS
Most Plastics Break Down Into Tiny Pieces Before They Reach The Great Lakes. This PA Researcher Studies Them Before They Degrade
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Plastic doesn’t go away, but it breaks down in the environment. One bottle can degrade into hundreds, even thousands, of tiny pieces of plastic the size of a grain of sand, which can be eaten by birds or fish.
Economy
Bill Would Allow Reusable Beverage Container Refills In New York
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Two Democratic state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would give customers in cafes, fast food shops and even in some restaurants, the option to use their own container for coffee, water, or to bring home left overs.
Environment
Given Trump Administration Policies, Ex-FERC Commissioner Says Panel Losing Focus On Climate
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Cheryl LaFleur fears regulator’s credibility is hurt by more party-line voting
App NEWS
Sunrise Movement Members Launch Write-In Campaigns For Ithaca Common Council
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They want two more full-time staff members, more money and a longer commitment to funding.
App NEWS
Neighbors Of Mariner East Pipelines Will Urge A Regulator To Stop The Project. It Might Be Their Last Chance
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Almost a year after lines opened, residents will say the project remains a risk to public safety
Nobel Laureate Explains How Lithium-Ion Battery Was Created And Its Future
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Stan Whittingham is regarded as the man who laid the groundwork for the science.
App NEWS
PA, CNX Reach $1.48M Settlement On Abandoned Wells
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Resolves 2018 order involving more than 1,000 wells.
Tompkins Legislature Votes To Allow Rifle Hunting For Deer, Bear
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Tompkins is one of five counties in the state that do not allow rifle hunting for deer and bears.
Uncategorized
Reed Blames New York’s Governor For Death Of Compressed Gas Truck Driver
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Reed said Cuomo opted for a virtual pipeline with roughly the same route but less efficient, less safe and more expensive.
High School Students Question Congressman On Climate Change Policy
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Reed said that nuclear energy has to be part of the transition away from fossil fuels even with its risks.
App NEWS
Environmentalists Want Lower Maximum Levels For PFOA And Other Drinking Water Contaminants
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“This is not 1970, where we can have the concept that because of economic reasons, we can have acceptable levels of materials like this in our drinking water.”
App NEWS
Binghamton Students Skip School for Another Climate Strike
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There was another climate strike led by young people Friday at the Peacemaker’s Stage in Downtown Binghamton. Students from Binghamton University and Binghamton High School skipped school to attend the strike.
App NEWS
House Committee Passes Delgado-Backed PFAS Bill
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Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19) sponsored the bill, which requires some companies to report their usage of PFAS to the EPA.
accident
Hazmat Evacuation Ordered In Broome County After Tractor Trailer Accident
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An accident involving a tractor trailer carrying natural has prompted mandatory evacuation Town of Fenton in Broome County
Environment
What Longtime Climate Activist Rafe Pomerance Wants You To Know
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Rafe Pomerance has been a climate activist for 40 years. As an environmental lobbyist for Friends of the Earth, he was one of the first people to agitate for bi-partisan action after reading a 1978 EPA report on coal.
App NEWS
As Three Mile Island Stops Generating Electricity, This PA Community Is Bracing For Change
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Last Friday around noon, Three Mile Island nuclear power plant stopped producing electricity, part of Exelon Corp.’s plan to close and decommission the plant over the next 60 years.
App NEWS
With Three Mile Island Closed, Nuclear Advocates Shift Their Concerns To PA’s Other Plants
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Those people who support nuclear worry that without tax breaks, the plants will be shut out of a competitive energy market
App NEWS
Small Hydropower Plants Say New York Should Help Keep Clean Power Competitive
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Owners of existing clean energy power plants in New York say they’d like the same support from the state for their businesses that new ones get.
App NEWS
Activist Calls For Cuomo to Intervene After Cargill Mine Spill
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The company and DEC disagree with Hang’s claims
App NEWS
Young People Demand Action Against Climate Crisis
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Strikes are happening all over the world including in Delhi, Ithaca, Hamilton, Scranton, and Binghamton.
Global Youth Climate Strike Expected To Draw Large Crowds In New York
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Strike organizers are calling on their fellow young people to skip school Friday and rally to demand greater action against climate change.
App NEWS
Oneida Indian Nation Uses Drones For Land Management
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“When you’re looking down on something rather than at ground level, you certainly get to see more of what’s going on.”
App NEWS
Decision Pending On Identity Of Private Firm That Will Manage Sewage Treatment Plant
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The identity of the firm recommended to manage the Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant should be known by month’s end.
Energy
Court Ruling Clears Way For Mariner East Construction To Restart
|
The Commonwealth Court said last week that the Democratic senator, an outspoken critic of Sunoco, did not have personal or legislative standing to bring a complaint
Energy
Environmentalists Pressure PA’s Governor For Faster Action On Methane Emissions
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Their call for action comes as the Trump administration works to loosen federal regulations on the powerful greenhouse gas.
App NEWS
Binghamton Mayor Predicts No Sewer Rate Increase In 2020
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Rates will differ across Broome County and still could go after 2020.
App NEWS
At Grangemouth Refinery In Scotland, A Plastics Evangelist Says PA’s Shale Gas Is Vital
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The massive refinery and petrochemical complex in Grangemouth, Scotland, run by INEOS, was one of the first overseas plants to receive Pennsylvania ethane.
App NEWS
‘Corpse Flower’ Blooms On Cornell Campus
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“During the course of the bloom you’ll get different odors. It doesn’t always smell the same way. But it will go through different phases where it smells like different chemicals.”
App NEWS
PA Business Advocates Celebrate Trump’s Clean Water Rollback
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Meanwhile, environmental groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation say the move is an “assault” on clean water.
App NEWS
Social Media Fuels Controversy Over Binghamton-Johnson City Sewage
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“Councilman Livingston seems to continue his tirade on this. In fact, he has personally accused me of forcing people to go into an unsafe environment. I take great exceptions, exceptions to that”
App NEWS
On Cayuga Lake, Researchers Fight Hydrilla
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Army Corps of Engineers surveys the lake, looking for noxious weed.
Environment
Brindisi: Proposed EPA Cuts Hurt Broome County
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There are eight Superfund clean-up sites in Broome County.
App NEWS
New York DEC Will Fight Constitution Pipeline
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State says Trump Administration is overstepping.
App NEWS
Abundant Solar Hopes to Lease Six Sites in Steuben County
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Abundant Solar said the chances are high that they will develop on the other sites.
Trumansburg Continues To Debate New Affordable Housing Development
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Most at the hearing oppose a proposed mixed income housing development.
App NEWS
New Toxic Algal Blooms Found On Cayuga Lake
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The most recent HABs were in the northern part of Cayuga Lake.
Sewage Released From Village Treatment Plant in Tompkins County
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The county wants anyone who might drink untreated water or who swims in the lake to be aware of the discharge.
agricultural equipment
After Incinerator Project Failed, Romulus Looks At New Options On Seneca Army Depot
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The town has to wait for the completion of state environmental review before it can move forward.
App NEWS
Paddlers Plan Protest On Cayuga Lake
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Activists plan to take to Cayuga Lake early this morning to protest seismic tests by Cargill. The company has salt mines below the lake.
Environment
New Report Highlights Restoration Of The Great Lakes
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A new report titled “Great Lakes Revival” tells the story of how Buffalo and other rust-belt cities reclaimed their waters.
App NEWS
Cayuga Lake Swimming Restriction Lifted in Genoa
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Cayuga County Health Department officials went door-to-door in part of Genoa on Thursday to warn people to not swim in Cayuga Lake near their property until Friday.
App NEWS
Contaminated Site In Vestal Cleared By DEC
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Clean-up requirements were met for the New York Superfund Site at the former Hidden Valley Electronics facility in Vestal.
App NEWS
Binghamton Rejects Recycling Bins with Plastic Bags
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City sanitation crews will not pick up residents’ recycling if the bin contains a plastic bag.
Environment
New York Sea Grant Works To Help Homeowners Rebuild Shoreline
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“Maybe if they have the right conditions, they can do a nature-based shoreline approach, where they work in shoreline plants and rock rubble.”
App NEWS
Group Calls For National Monitoring Standards For Algal Blooms
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The Environmental Working Group wants a standardized monitoring system across the U.S. to better inform the public about harmful algal blooms.
Environment
Senator Says USDA Wrongly Halted Research Into Honeybees
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“At this time, when our bees are dying off, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has done a very quiet but very dumb thing. They’ve stopped collecting critical scientific data on honeybees.”
App NEWS
Cortland County Dairy Farm Receives Environmental Award
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Whey Street Dairy received the 2019 State Agricultural Environmental Management Award.
Art
Calling All Artists for a New York Memorial Honoring Puerto Rico
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Artists and architects from across can create a proposal for a memorial honoring the victims of Hurricane Maria.
Energy
Sunoco Says Mariner East 2 System ‘Backfired’ During Maintenance
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The company did not explain what caused the backfire but apologized for the noise, which alarmed neighbors and fueled longstanding concerns about the safety of the new pipelines, which carry highly volatile natural gas liquids.
Anti-fracking movement
New York Study: Fracking Causes Environmental Damage, Birth Defects
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A New York metastudy details the adverse effects fracking has on Pennsylvania’s environment, its climate and human health.
Energy
PA Pipeline Foe Expected State Information On Mariner East Risk. But Now He’s Facing Court Fight
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An opponent of the Mariner East project says he will ask an appeals court to order the Public Utility Commission to disclose documents containing its calculations on the effects of an accidental release of natural gas liquids from the pipelines.
Environment
Corning, Ithaca Wegmans No Longer Offer Plastic Bags
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Starting today, plastic bags aren’t an option when you check out at Wegman’s stores in Ithaca and Corning
Energy
Three Mile Island Unit 2, Site Of Nation’s Worst Nuclear Accident, To Be Sold, Dismantled
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A Salt Lake City-based company is in talks to purchase and dismantle Three Mile Island’s long-mothballed Unit 2 reactor — the site of the nation’s worst nuclear accident in 1979.
Energy
Nation’s Largest Power Grid Operator Asked To Focus On Clean Energy
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The power grid operator has received appeals from around the country to ensure its next leader prioritizes clean energy.
Environment
National Group Goes After Invasive Mussels In The Great Lakes
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Quagga mussels have few natural predators, and have been successful in the Great Lakes and other lakes across North America since being carried here by ships from Europe in the 1980s.
Featured in Category
New York Adopts The Nation’s Most Aggressive Targets For Reducing Carbon Emissions
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Thursday mandating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, and an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That’s below levels from 1990.
App NEWS
Invasive Species Are Focus Of Week Of Activities In New York
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In Tompkins County, educational activities and games were organized by FORCES, Friends of Recreation, Conservation and Environmental Stewardship.
Environment
Onondaga Lake Beach Study Says 32K Could Swim In Former Superfund Site, Only 22% Surveyed Say It’s Safe
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SYRACUSE (WRVO) – The lake once called the most polluted in the country, could be getting closer to becoming a beach destination for central New Yorkers. But not everyone is on board with the idea of swimming in a former Superfund site. At a recent public meeting, Onondaga County announced results of a survey that showed almost 32,000 people would be willing to go swimming in a potential beach at the Willow Bay area of Onondaga Lake. “To us it’s a very good sign that people who come to get close to the lake, and experience the lake with their own personal senses, are more comfortable swimming in Onondaga Lake,” Travis Glazier, head of the county’s Department of the Environment, said. But on the other side, only 22% of respondents felt the lake was safe to swim in.
App NEWS
Tompkins/Cortland Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton On 2019 Legislative Session
|
ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – The 2019 New York legislative session saw the passage of a raft of legislation that has been blocked in previous years. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton spoke with WSKG’s Celia Clarke in the Ithaca studio. She represents Tompkins County and part of Cortland County in the state Assembly. Lifton spoke about the new farm labor rights, legalization of electrically-assisted bicycles and scooters, and why she thinks marijuana legalization is inevitable. The conversation begins with Lifton talking what she considers the most important accomplishment of the session.
App NEWS
IJC To Review Plan 2014, But Say Nothing Can Be Done To Ease Flooding This Year
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“…we’ve had catastrophic flooding on the shore of Lake Ontario two out of three years,” said Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus)
Allegheny County PA
US Steel, Allegheny County Have A Draft Agreement On Pollution Violations
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HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – The Allegheny County Health Department and U.S. Steel have a draft agreement to resolve multiple air pollution violations from the company’s Clairton Plant over the past two years. The agreement calls on the company to pay $2.7 million in fines and put in place a suite of pollution upgrades at the plant. The company said the price of those upgrades is $200 million. The agreement does not resolve legal issues between the county and the company over air pollution problems that resulted from a Dec. 24 fire.
App NEWS
Pennsylvania Natural Gas Impact Fee Revenue Rises To 7-Year High, Boosted By Stripper Wells
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Pennsylvania’s impact fee on natural gas producers raised more money in 2018 to offset the effects of shale development than at any time in the fee’s seven-year history
App NEWS
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Seek To Block Regulation Of Single-Use Plastics
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If approved, the amendment would block any government entity from imposing new taxes, rules, or regulations on single-use plastics
App NEWS
Lansing Residents Hear Plans For Cayuga Power Plant, Landfill
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“I’m concerned about the coal ash landfill, I do think that that needs further remediation. It’s definitely old technology that was used.”
Environment
Groups Criticize PA Budget For Shifting $10-Million From Environmental Fund
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It’s absolutely the wrong direction to be decreasing, rather than increasing, our contributions to environmental programs through the state budget.”
App NEWS
Binghamton-Johnson City Sewer Plant Moves Closer to Private Management
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Bids from private firms for the right to take control of the publicly-owned plant are set to be opened Wednesday.
Energy
Trump Ditches Obama Climate Policy That Targeted Coal Emissions
|
Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal producing state in the country. But coal generated electricity plants have struggled to compete with cheaper natural gas and renewable energy.
App NEWS
Climate Measure Sets Ambitious Goals For New York
|
“It’s going to create a road map to 2050, and it’s going to recommend regulations, incentives and a plan to really change the whole economy.”
Energy
As States Diverge On Climate Policies, Nation’s Largest Power Grid Operator Grapples With Carbon Pricing
|
PJM is now trying to walk a fine line between respecting states’ rights and figuring out how to incorporate their climate polices into its wholesale electricity market.
antibiotic free beef
Tompkins County Schools Sign Contracts With Farmers Who Use Fewer Antibiotics
|
“Our improvements in management which includes feeding and housing and veterinary care, disease control…we’ve been able to control infectious diseases to a greater extent than ever before.”
Energy
$3-Million Settlement Revealed In High-Profile Fracking Case
|
The court document was issued under seal, but was discovered last week in a public database by a public radio reporter. After issuing an injunction, Judge Katherine B. Emery on Tuesday ruled it could be published.
Winter Solar Energy Shortage Could Be Solved By Increasing Storage Capacity
|
Solar energy is plentiful in the summer, but when cold winter mornings return, a Cornell researcher has found the Northeast will still rely on fossil fuels for heat.
Energy
Wolf Rejects PA Senate’s Infrastructure Proposal Funded By Forest Drilling
|
After months of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf promoting a sweeping infrastructure plan funded by a tax on natural gas drillers, some Senate Republicans have come up with an alternative.
Economy
Tompkins Solar Farm Stays Mowed Thanks To Sheep
|
There’s a new solar project in Tompkins County that has farmers and solar companies helping each other.
Andrew Cuomo
Trash Incinerators Banned In Finger Lakes Region
|
A bill that would ban trash incinerators in the Finger Lakes is now law.
Andrew Cuomo
Palmesano Pushes Back On Farm Labor Bill
|
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano is pushing back against a bill that would give farm workers the same rights as all workers in the state.
Energy
Federal Pipeline Safety Regulators Issue Warning On Floods
|
“They’re saying ‘it’s a bad idea to put pipelines in areas where damage to the pipeline could be caused by earth movement. If you know there’s potential damage, don’t put them there.”
App NEWS
PA Accused Of ‘Foot-Dragging’ On 2-Year-Old Request To Regulate PFAS Chemical
|
Environmental group asks appeals court to order Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection to set health standard
App NEWS
Cayuga Lake Coal-Fired Power Plant To Convert To Solar Powered Data Center
|
The owners want to convert it into a 100 megawatt data center. Their proposal includes a seventy-five acre solar farm, and they will apply to the state for a 125 megawatt renewable energy allocation.
Environment
PA, NJ, Delaware Governors Pledge To Cooperate On Delaware River Basin Environment
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also represented on the Delaware River Basin Commission, was invited to the event but was unable to attend
App NEWS
New Research: It Isn’t Easy Being Green
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Nudges can change behavior, but for many societal problems like climate change, they are not sufficient.
environment
New Jersey Sues Companies Over PFAS Contamination
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New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says the eight companies knew for decades that PFOA and PFOS used as a main component of firefighting foam would contaminate the environment.
Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant To Close
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The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, site of the nation’s worst nuclear accident, will shut down by the end of September. Backers failed to secure subsidies to keep the plant operating.
Tompkins County Legislature Hears From Opponents To Ithaca Airport Expansion
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Their main objection is the addition of a customs building and one customs inspector. Customs is part of the federal Customs and Border Protection, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security.
Environment
PFAS Chemicals Contaminate 17 PA Sites, Data Show
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“When a water system is contaminated with PFAS, treatment will lower the concentration but not completely remove it. So the contamination is still there.”
Tompkins Transportation Plan Includes Improved Rural Mass Transit
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Every day about 15,000 people travel into Tompkins County, mainly into Ithaca from neighboring counties. Most of them commute for work and most are alone in their cars.
Energy
Maid Of The Mist Launching New Electric Boats
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“It seems natural for us to do that, with the hydroelectric power generation that goes on here.”
Cornell Scientists Find Natural Fungi That Kill Invasive Spotted Lanternfly
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The spotted lanternfly eats away at the bark of trees. It’s a threat to some commercial crops that are big in New York like grapes and apples.
Uncategorized
PA Prosecutors Eye Potential ‘Environmental Crimes.’
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“All they’ve ever gotten is a slap on the wrist. It’s time for that to change. I’ll hold the oil and gas companies criminally liable for poisoning our air and our drinking water.”
Ithaca Legalizes Backyard Chickens
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The ordinance would only allow for hens. No roosters! Only six per household will be allowed, a property must be at least 2,000 square feet and there are other requirements for the chickens shelter and regular inspections.
Energy
PA Lawmaker Faces Backlash For Bringing Nazis Into Pipeline Debate
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“It’s a poor choice of words. It’s not a fair comparison. I mean these are working folk, these are salt-of-the-earth people.”
As Nuclear Waste Piles Up At A PA Power Plant, Private Companies Pitch New Ways To Store It
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Nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania and around the country are running out of room to store spent fuel. Private companies are pitching their own solutions.
Energy
State Senators Seek Answers From DEP Chief Over PA Pipeline
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“Why did they (state inspectors) grant these water permits the way they did? What was the rush in February, 2017? Did anyone put pressure on them to encourage that?”
1.5 degrees
Binghamton Undergraduates Call For Faster Action Against Climate Change
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BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) – Some Binghamton University students are pushing Congressman Anthony Brindisi to do more to address climate change.
Liat David is 19, a sophomore at the University. At a recent forum she helped organize, she said climate change has made her re-think having children. “Do I have that right as a woman that I can have a child and be proud of the earth that I live in and say that this child is going to be living in a regenerative and sustainable future?” she said. “I can’t necessarily say that right now, which is very sad to say because that is my right as a woman to say that I can have a child if I want to, but I really feel like that was taken away from me this past generation.”
Farmers Concerned With Proposed Changes To New York Labor Law
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“Farm workers are excluded from labor laws that protect all other workers. So, do we want to level the playing field and ensure that those protections are in place?”
Environment
Snot Otter? Lasagna Lizard? By Any Name, It’s PA’s Official Amphibian
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It may not be pretty, but supporters of the Eastern hellbender say it’s a vital reminder to keep streams and waterways healthy.
Energy
Methane Hearing Draws Concern Over PA Rules
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Several members of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee met in Pittsburgh for a hearing on methane, the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Economy
Wegmans To Eliminate Single-Use Plastic Bags At New York Stores
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The supermarket chain wants to get ahead of the curve because of the transition that will be needed to get customers accustomed to using the reusable shopping bags.
App NEWS
What State Governments Are Doing About Plastic Bags — And What Might Happen With PA’s Proposed Ban
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A renewed legislative effort to curb the use of disposable plastic shopping bags in Pennsylvania is milder than measures enacted in some other states.
New York Museum Cancels Gala To Honor Far-Right Brazilian Leader
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Jair Bolsonaro is outspoken about his desire to roll back environmental protections. Mayor Bill de Blasio applauded the American Museum of Natural History’s move “on behalf of our city.”
Environment
Citizen Climate Petition Advances, After PA Board Approves Further Study Of Cap-And-Trade Program
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The ramifications of the petition could be politically significant– allowing major climate policy to be implemented without new legislation.
Environment
PA To Begin Statewide Sampling For Six PFAS Chemicals
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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it will sample more than 300 water systems starting in May in a program that is due to last a year.
App NEWS
Bill Would Mandate Testing In Radon-Dense Pennsylvania
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A new bill in the state Capitol would require every school district in Pennsylvania to test for radon and inform parents of the results.
App NEWS
Trump Order Could Revive Construction Of Constitution Pipeline In PA And New York
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It takes aim at states like New York that have blocked pipeline projects that would carry Marcellus Shale gas to markets in the Northeast.
App NEWS
Gas, Nuclear Lobbies Butt Heads As PA Senate Takes Up Nuclear-Rescue Bill
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“No real reason has been given to pass this legislation, other than we need the money to enhance our profit margin and to charge more for nuclear power.”
Energy
Trump Orders May Limit New York’s Power To Block Pipelines
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Demand for natural gas is growing across the Northeast. Meanwhile, natural gas production is booming in Pennsylvania. Connecting the two requires building pipelines across New York State.
Is New York’s Plastic Bag Ban Garbage?
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New York is only the latest state to ban plastic bags, but such restrictions may actually hurt the environment more than help it. Human nature, hard truths, and what kind of bag to use anyway?
Energy
Political Fight Begins Over Bill To Rescue Pennsylvania Nuclear Industry
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The bills recognize nuclear plants as sources of carbon-free electricity and create new requirements about how electric utilities are to purchase power.
App NEWS
Sunoco Agrees To Settlement After Mariner East 1 Leak
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If approved, company will pay $200,000 fine and step up safety inspections of aging pipeline
App NEWS
Is New York’s Ban On Single Use Plastic Bags Sustainable?
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By this time next year, single use plastic bags will be officially banned in New York State. But this new rule has some wondering, will we just end up with a paper bag problem?
Energy
PA Plaintiffs Settle Class-Action Suit With Sunoco Over Mariner East
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The suit accused Sunoco of negligence and several other counts in its construction practices.
Cornell Law Professor Says A “Green Amendment” Won’t Bring Changes To Slow Climate Change
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“The real challenge with the Green Amendment is that it may not even mean anything, but even if it does it could take decades for it to become meaningful.”
Energy
40 Years Later, The Prospect Of A Three Mile Island Evacuation Remains
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“You can practice it in the best-case scenario, but what we know is people will be scared,”
GOP Uses Green New Deal Vote To Target New York Congress Member
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The GOP-controlled Senate will vote on a Democratic resolution led by New York freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that calls for the U.S. to reach zero net carbon emissions within 10 years.
Environment
Finger Lakes Trash Incinerator Project Not Happening
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“People think this is environmentally responsible. It’s terrible for the environment,”
App NEWS
Higher Operating Pressure Prompts New Safety Concerns Over Sunoco’s Mariner East 2X Pipeline
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Pipeline opponents are raising new concerns about the safety of Energy Transfer/Sunoco Logistics’ Mariner East 2x natural gas liquids line.
bike safety
Ithaca Inspires Elmira’s Search For Transportation Solutions
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One person described walking across the wide boulevard in front of Elmira’s Clemens Center as a ‘near-death experience.’
Featured in Category
Crews Investigate Possible Leak In Pipeline That Feeds PA’s Northern Tier, New York State
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The line transports petroleum products from Sunoco’s Montello terminal near Reading to north-central Pennsylvania and New York state.
Economy
Romulus Residents Eager For NYS Senate To Ban Finger Lakes Incinerators
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“We are really, really thrilled,” said Mary Anne Kowalski, Seneca Lake resident. “I think the fact that is impressing me most is that we’ve got bipartisan support on this bill.”
Energy
Japan Looks Beyond Electric Cars And Envisions A ‘Hydrogen Society’
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The country has ambitious goals to become the “hydrogen society,” and right now, the focus is on its automakers.
Small Farmers, Rural Homeowners File Petition, But Re-Zoning Process Continues In Town Of Ulysses
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Small farmers and rural homeowners argue they set aside too much land for preservation.
Energy
Watchdog Group Wants A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Investigation At Three Mile Island
|
The nuclear watchdog group is asking federal regulators to analyze what the group calls a “potentially dangerous and risky condition”
Landowners, Farmers Oppose Zoning Plan For Tompkins County Town
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A group of landowners and farmers are trying to stop some zoning changes designed to preserve open space in the Town of Ulysses. Some say agricultural needs haven’t been considered. The town disagrees.
Energy
PA Lawmaker Talks Up Nuclear Bailout Bill; Opponents Line Up To Trash It
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Opponents criticized the measure as too expensive and said it squanders an opportunity to fully address climate change.
Energy
PA Reaches $7M Deal Over 1,400 Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells
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Alabama company has until 2033 to plug wells or put them back into production
Education
After Three Mile Island Accident, This Carnegie Mellon Team Pitched A Novel Idea For Cleanup: Use Robots
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How a young team at CMU helped expand the fledgling field of robotics.
Crime and Justice
Investigation Into PA Pipeline Builder Energy Transfer Now Includes Grand Jury
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Energy Transfer, parent company of Sunoco Logistics and builder of the Mariner East natural gas liquids pipelines, is the target of a Chester County grand jury investigation.
Energy
Report: Coal Ash Contamination Widespread In PA
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A new report finds coal ash pollution is leaking into groundwater at nine power plants around Pennsylvania and over 200 nationwide. West Pa. site has arsenic 372 times the ‘safe’ level
For Pennsylvanians Who Heat Homes With Coal, It’s Still King
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Nearly 130,000 homes in the U.S. still burn coal for heat. Despite decades of decline and concerns about climate change, companies in the coal home-heating business are optimistic about the future.
Environment
PA’s Health Dept. Hires Scientists To Study PFAS Chemicals In Drinking Water
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The state Department of Health wants to hire 10 scientists to learn more about the health risks of the PFAS group of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
concord grapes
Cornell Gets $68.9 Million For Grape Genetics Research
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Cornell University has received over $68 million from the United States Department of Agriculture to build a new federal research facility for grape genetics. The site will be in Geneva, New York, home to ongoing collaborations between Cornell and the USDA.
Energy
Energy Transfer CEO: ‘We’ve Made Mistakes’ In Building Mariner East
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Sunoco’s parent company admitted it made mistakes in building the Mariner East pipelines through Pennsylvania, and told investors that it will do better in future, but its assurances failed to persuade critics that the project will become any safer for the public or more protective of the environment.
Energy
Could Membranes At Coal-Fired Power Plants Slow Climate Change?
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Pittsburgh researchers are working on potentially cheaper ways to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants. So-called “clean coal” technology is expensive, but some experts say it’s crucial to address climate change.
Education
Ithaca School District Turns Water Back On In Elementary Schools
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Students and teachers have been drinking bottled water since 2015 when tests showed elevated lead levels. Today, the water is scheduled to be turned back on in some elementary schools.
Months After Summer Flooding, Pennsylvania Farmers Still Deal With Aftermath
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Last summer, heavy rains caused flooding across New York and Pennsylvania.Some farmers saw extensive damage to their crops. Federal help is available for some of those folks.
Business
Europe’s Investment In Offshore Wind Is Paying Off — For New York
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Europe’s investments in offshore wind have fueled better technology, more competition and cheaper capital for new projects. That’s driven down the cost of offshore power and now the US is capitalizing on the savings.
Central New York
Ithaca Constituent Calls On Reed To Show Some Courage And Vote Against Trump
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Theresa Alt was one of two people who stopped by for a visit. Alt met Tuesday with staff at Congressman Tom Reed’s Ithaca office. That office last opened its doors two weeks ago, but there were no visitors. This time, people showed up.
Environment
Report Shows How More Pennsylvania Drivers Can Go Electric
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Of the eight million vehicles registered in Pennsylvania, just 15,000 of them are electric. The state Department of Environmental Protection has released a plan several years in the making that outlines how the state can boost that number. Education is a key component.
Environment
PA To Begin Its Own Process Of Setting Limit For 2 PFAS Chemicals
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Pennsylvania will begin the process of setting its own health limits for two toxic PFAS chemicals because it’s unclear when the federal government will set national standards, the Department of Environmental Protection said late Thursday.
Environment
EPA Says It Will Begin To Regulate PFOA And PFOS This Year
|
The U.S. EPA said Thursday it will this year begin the process of setting maximum contaminant limits for PFOA and PFOS, two toxic chemicals that are linked to cancer and other illnesses and are widespread in drinking water and soil.
Featured in Category
Governor’s Support For PA’s Pipeline-Safety Bills Boosts Bipartisan Advocates
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A raft of bills on pipeline safety may have a better chance of becoming law in Pennsylvania after Gov. Tom Wolf formally backed some of them in a statement that strongly criticized Sunoco’s construction of the Mariner East pipelines.
Economy
Solar Jobs Grow In Pennsylvania While Declining Nationally
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Jobs in Pennsylvania’s solar industry grew 10 percent last year, while declining three percent nationally, according to a new analysis.
Education
Now Lead-Free, Water In Some Ithaca Schools Will Soon Flow Again
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It’s been over three years since water fountains in some Ithaca area schools could offer students a drink. In 2015, water systems in all 12 Ithaca City Schools were shut off after tests showed elevated lead levels. However, within two weeks, the water will be turned on again at some elementary schools.
Energy
PA Halts New Pipeline Permits For Mariner East, Cites Ongoing Violations
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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says Energy Transfer hasn’t complied with an order related to the recent explosion of the Revolution pipeline outside Pittsburgh, so it has halted reviews of new water crossing permits the company wants for its natural gas liquids lines Mariner East 2 and 2x.
New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Releases Green New Deal Outline
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The plan is massively ambitious and faces political blockades. Proponents believe it’s what’s necessary to start saving the world from the threat of climate change and to reshape the U.S. economy.
Education
PA Seeks School Evacuation Drills On Pipeline Route
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Chester County community meeting airs continuing public concerns on safety of Mariner East pipelines
Environment
Public Hearing Held On Feasibility Of A Public Beach Along Onondaga Lake
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Onondaga County continues taking the steps it needs to build a swimmable beach along the northern shore of Onondaga Lake. That includes a series of public meetings showcasing what it would take to create a beach along what was once called the most polluted lake in the country.
environment
Report Says EPA Refuses To Regulate Two PFAS Chemicals
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Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday slammed the reported decision of the federal government not to regulate two chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses when present in drinking water.
environment
PA’s Governor Just Set A Lofty Climate Goal. What Will It Take To Get There?
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Gov. Tom Wolf kicked off the new year with an ambitious climate change goal: reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050.
Education
After Some Awkward Moments, Kids Dressed As The Lorax Meet PA’s Governor
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About a dozen children dressed in Lorax costumes went to Gov. Tom Wolf’s office Monday. They wanted to give him petitions urging action on climate change and Pennsylvania’s environmental rights amendment.
Environment
PA Might Set Maximum Limits On A Toxic Chemical In Drinking Water
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Joanne Stanton is watching Pennsylvania’s fledgling efforts to curb toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, and wondering why PFAS-contaminated water is still being found below several communities in Bucks and Montgomery counties, several miles from the water’s origin on a nearby military base.
Energy
DA Blasts Mariner East Contractor’s Crass Threats Directed At Pipeline Opponent
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A worker on Sunoco’s Mariner East project has threatened a Chester County opponent of the pipeline on social media in two posts that included an obscenity.
Environment
New York Governor To Include Plastic Bag Ban In Budget
|
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said his upcoming executive budget would include a proposal to ban single-use plastic bags in New York state.
Energy
Judges Say PA Unlawfully Issued Air-Quality Permits To Sunoco At Marcus Hook
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A Pennsylvania court said the Department of Environmental Protection unlawfully issued air-quality permits to Sunoco for its natural gas liquids plant at Marcus Hook in Delaware County, and it ordered the department to re-do its analysis over whether the plant should be subject to two sets of emissions rules.
environment
Governor Wolf Sets Goal For PA To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Gov. Tom Wolf has set a new goal for the state to combat climate change: reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent by 2025.
Long-term, the governor wants to see an 80-percent reduction by 2050.
Energy
High Tech Car Sniffs For Natural Gas Leaks
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Peoples Gas in western Pennsylvania has outfitted a vehicle that will drive over 950 miles of the utility’s pipelines in Pittsburgh this year using a high-tech system to find places where methane leaks into the air.
