Energy
New York Lawmakers Seek to Expand Electric Vehicle Access By Allowing Direct Sales
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“We want to make it easier for customers to have access to them wherever you live in New York state, not just in the downstate markets.”
Environment
Spotted Lanternflies Due To Hatch. Learn How To Make A Trap For This Invasive Insect
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There are strict orders in quarantine counties aimed at stopping the invasive pest’s spread westward or even between municipalities within a county.
Environment
DEC Commissioner Says Funding Necessary for New York’s Environmental Projects
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“We do need to find a way to pay for all the transportation, housing, industrial changes that the state will undertake.”
Economy
Republicans Claim Proposed New York Climate Bill Will Hurt Consumers
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Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said he was concerned about a proposed fee in the legislation that would charge fossil fuel companies $55 per ton of greenhouse gases.
Arts & Culture
New Book Explores Private Land, Public Good And Fracking In PA
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Fracking caused upheaval over the disruption and environmental degradation in the rural communities surrounding Williamsport, and challenged the rural values of independence and sovereignty over private property.
Environment
Disposable Mask Pollution Concerns Environmentalists
|
Environmental experts urge people to cut the ear loops off their masks before throwing them in the trash. Sea turtles, birds, and other marine wildlife can become entangled in the loops.
New York Governor Urges Biden To Order 100% Zero-Emission Car Sales By 2035
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In a letter to the president, 12 governors asked that the White House order a ban on greenhouse gas-emitting cars and light trucks within 14 years.
Energy
New York Invests $400 Million of Pension Fund Into Renewable Sources
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“New York State’s pension fund is at the leading edge of investors addressing climate risk, because investing for the low-carbon future is essential to protect the fund’s long-term value.”
App NEWS
Biden’s Climate Pitch Could Hit Turbulence From Some Fossil Fuel-Friendly Unions
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“Jobs in renewables don’t always match up for displaced workers.”
New York Announces Agreement To Decommission Indian Point Nuclear Plant
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New York state leaders say an agreement has been reached concerning the decommissioning and cleanup of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in the lower Hudson Valley.
Environment
Aboard The Lake Guardian, Scientists Fish For The Story Of Lake Ontario
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When the ice melts each spring, the ship visits each of the five lakes to measure basic water quality and sample the “lower food web” — the tiny animals, plants, and algae that support fish and other aquatic life.
Energy
Injection Wells Exist To Hold Fracking Wastewater, But The Water Can Move. Here’s how
|
Salty wastewater produced by fracking for oil and gas has to go somewhere. Often, it’s injected into disposal wells deep underground. But sometimes that wastewater can find its way back to the surface and cause environmental problems.
App NEWS
PA Finds PFAS In A Third Of Public Water Systems; None Exceeded EPA Limit
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Critics push PA to set enforceable drinking water levels to protect public health
App NEWS
Note To Nesting Songbirds: Avoid Natural Gas Compressors
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A study by Penn State researchers found that songbirds nesting near the sound of natural gas compressors had fewer hatched eggs.
New York State Urged To Lower Lead Levels In Schools
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“We know that in particular young children are at risk of neurological and behavioral health consequences associated with developing bodies and that is something that lasts forever.”
Environmental Advocates Say New York Should Keep Promise And Fund Climate Change Initiatives
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Environmental advocates say money in the state budget meant for environmental initiatives needs to stay intact. Advocates want the state to fund the environmental programs they promised.
App NEWS
PA Proposal To Join Regional Cap-And-Trade Program Draws 13,000 Comments
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“The public comment period just makes it clear that Pennsylvanians are really clamoring for concrete action to reduce climate pollution.”
App NEWS
With Biden’s Vow To Rejoin Paris Agreement, PA Cities Anticipate Federal Partnership On Climate
|
“We need Joe Biden to demonstrate that he truly is a man that believes in science and believes in honoring the commitment to protect future generations.”
Environment
Climate Scientist Michael Mann Interview: ‘We’re Going To Need Every Tool We Have’
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“We should engage in everyday actions and changes in our lifestyle, that reduce our environmental footprint, that often make us healthier and happier and save us money, things we ought to do anyway.”
Emerald Ash Borer Leads To Cornell Plan To Cut Some Ash Trees, Save Others
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“As the ash borer population increases and the tree health declines, they become a safety hazard.”
Energy
Governor Unveils Ambitious Green Energy Program For New York
|
Plans include new solar farms and off shore wind turbines, and more transmission lines across the state.
Environment
Pennsylvania Pays $34 Million For Water Cleanup
|
Of the 149 projects granted money from the Growing Greener program, 43 in south central Pennsylvania will get $12 million.
Economy
Families And Advocates Criticize PA’s Fracking Health Studies
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State announced $3.9 M studies after pressure from families of rare cancer patients in SW PA
Environment
What’s Next For Energy And Environment Under Biden?
|
President-elect Biden says he will rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one.
Environment
Trump And Biden Differ Sharply On The Environment — And That Means The Election Stakes Are High For PA
|
Energy, pollution policies are felt deeply in Pennsylvania.
App NEWS
New York State, Advocates Hope Public Will Help Enforce Plastic Bag Ban
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“It could not come a day too soon. New Yorkers use a staggering 23 billion plastic bags every year.”
Environment
New York Begins Plastic Bag Ban Enforcement October 19th
|
The COVID-19 pandemic, and an unsuccessful lawsuit brought by the plastics industry delayed its implementation.
Economy
New York To Begin Enforcing Plastic Bag Ban Oct. 19
|
New York state will begin enforcing its ban on single-use carry-out plastic bags next month after a brief hiatus of the law due to a legal challenge brought earlier this year.
Mockingbirds Catch A Break As New York Judge Strikes Down Trump Bird Opinion
|
In 2017, the Trump administration scaled back protections of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A federal judge has now struck down the rule change — and cited To Kill a Mockingbird in so doing.
Education
Participants Sought To Help New York Rate Creeks, Streams
|
“And the really cool thing is when you fill out a survey on your smartphone, it geolocates you. We’re able to go back to that exact same spot and we’ll do the water quality testing.”
Environment
New York Adopts Drinking Water Standards For Three Emerging Contaminants
|
“I think these are still historic and appropriate and protective drinking water standards that will protect New Yorkers for decades to come.”
Environment
Cuomo Scraps $3 Billion Environmental Bond Act
|
New York, fearing the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, has decided to pull an item from this year’s ballot to decide if the state should borrow $3 billion to fund a series of environmental projects related to climate change.
New York State Bids For Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
|
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted it is “the largest ever combined solicitations for renewable energy ever issued in the U.S.”
Environment
Upstate’s Howie Hawkins Picked As Green Party Candidate For President
|
This will be the 25th time Hawkins has run for office, but his first national campaign. He’s run for Congress, U.S. Senate, governor and several other state and local offices.
How To Clear Invasive Species? Get Goats!
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“They’re tipping the balance towards a more diverse ecosystem. The result will be beauty and color in the landscape, new homes for butterflies improved water quality and a stronger web of life.”
Crime and Justice
Republican Lawmakers Defend Shale Gas Industry; Grand Jury Says PA Failed To Protect Public From Fracking
|
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
|
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
|
“When a crime is committed because of how a company does business, rather than an individual’s actions, we charge the company.”
Trump Administration Limits New York’s Power To Stop Oil And Gas Pipelines
|
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,
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
|
“The whole spring season is basically lost.”
App NEWS
Pipeline Explosion Resulted In Huge State Fine. Now, PA Has Found Hundreds Of New Violations
|
Regulator, company at odds over erosion, hillside slips
Environment
New York’s Plastic Bag Ban Effectively On Hold
|
“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
|
‘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
|
“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
|
“I think that we would have a less severe outbreak if we had lower levels of air pollution.”
Environment
COVID-19 Prompts EPA To Relax Enforcement, But State And Local Governments Do Most Of The Oversight
|
Federal agency said new policy doesn’t mean facilities can exceed allowed pollution limits
App NEWS
Spring Is Here, But Is Nature In Sync?
|
“Trees, as a group, are more responsive to these temperature shifts than wildflowers,”
App NEWS
Mariner East Construction Back On After Waiver Requests Approved
|
Wolf administration grants all of Energy Transfer’s waiver requests
App NEWS
Energy Transfer Seeks Waiver To Continue Some Mariner East Work
|
Company says state has allowed some work to continue.
App NEWS
PA’s Coronavirus Shutdown Order Appears To Include Mariner East Pipeline Construction
|
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.
Featured in Category
Food CO-OP Calls New York’s Upcoming Plastic Bag Ban No Big Deal
|
“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
|
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
|
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
|
“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.”
App NEWS
PA Governor’s Cap-And-Trade Proposal Takes Step Forward
|
DEP acting on governor’s executive order — which Republicans are challenging
App NEWS
Feds Lower Coal Mine Cleanup Funds For PA
|
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
|
In annual budget address, Wolf talked about need for pipeline reform
App NEWS
Pennsylvania Poll Finds Registered Voters Split On Fracking Ban
|
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
|
Plastics build-out could conflict with governor’s climate goals
air quality
PA, New York Join Suit Against EPA Over Chemical-Safety Rules At Industrial Sites
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
“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
|
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
|
DEP quietly withdrew the fine for faulty drilling after the company promised to fix the problems.
Could Organic Solutions One Day Be Part Of De-Icing Strategy On New York Roads
|
“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.”
Trump Seeks Environmental Rules Changes, New York Critics Say It Compromises Public Health
|
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.
Energy
Study: Replacing Coal Plants With Natural Gas Cuts Pollution, Saved Lives
|
Fracking pollution not included in study; could lessen health benefits, author says
Environment
Wegmans Plastic Bag Ban Starts January 27
|
Wegmans debuted the no-plastic policy at its Corning and Ithaca stores and called the pilot program successful.
App NEWS
New York Governor Proposes Ban On Foam Food Containers, “Packing Peanuts”
|
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
|
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
|
“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?
|
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
|
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.
Environment
A Third Of PA Drinking Water Samples Contained Toxic Chemicals. The State Says There’s ‘No Widespread Contamination’
|
Amid federal inaction, there’s no consensus on how much of the PFAS class of chemicals is too much.
Energy
Johns Hopkins Researcher: PA Should Ban Fracking
|
“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.”
Energy
PA Lawmakers, Criticizing Executive Order On Cap-And-Trade Program, Say It’s Their Call To Make
|
Proposed bill would require Legislature to OK Pennsylvania becoming part of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Featured in Category
Tompkins County Considers Paper Bag Fee
|
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
|
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
New Ethane Cracker Factories Raise Climate Change And Pollution Concerns
|
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
|
Pennsylvania’s Republican US Senator introduced a resolution he hopes will enable Congress to defeat future presidents’ fracking bans in court.
Energy
Trump Administration Proposes Rollbacks For Two Obama-Era Coal Pollution Rules
|
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
|
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
|
Cheryl LaFleur fears regulator’s credibility is hurt by more party-line voting
App NEWS
Neighbors Of Mariner East Pipelines Will Urge A Regulator To Stop The Project. It Might Be Their Last Chance
|
Almost a year after lines opened, residents will say the project remains a risk to public safety
App NEWS
PA, CNX Reach $1.48M Settlement On Abandoned Wells
|
Resolves 2018 order involving more than 1,000 wells.
App NEWS
Environmentalists Want Lower Maximum Levels For PFOA And Other Drinking Water Contaminants
|
“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.”
Environment
What Longtime Climate Activist Rafe Pomerance Wants You To Know
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
Global Youth Climate Strike Expected To Draw Large Crowds In New York
|
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
|
“When you’re looking down on something rather than at ground level, you certainly get to see more of what’s going on.”
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
App NEWS
PA Business Advocates Celebrate Trump’s Clean Water Rollback
|
Meanwhile, environmental groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation say the move is an “assault” on clean water.
App NEWS
Group Calls For National Monitoring Standards For Algal Blooms
|
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
|
“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
|
Whey Street Dairy received the 2019 State Agricultural Environmental Management Award.
Energy
Sunoco Says Mariner East 2 System ‘Backfired’ During Maintenance
|
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
|
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
|
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.
Energy
Three Mile Island Unit 2, Site Of Nation’s Worst Nuclear Accident, To Be Sold, Dismantled
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
Government
Congressman Praises New York’s Water Contaminant Standards, Wants Action From EPA
|
Earlier this week, the state said it will set the nation’s lowest allowable level for industrial chemicals that have contaminated some communities’ drinking water.
Environment
Groups Criticize PA Budget For Shifting $10-Million From Environmental Fund
|
It’s absolutely the wrong direction to be decreasing, rather than increasing, our contributions to environmental programs through the state budget.”
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.
America
New York City Adopts Nation’s First Congestion Pricing Plan
|
New York City just became the first city in the US to adopt a congestion pricing plan. The plan is expected to raise about $1.5 billion in revenue every year, mostly for its crumbling subway system.
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.
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
New Research: It Isn’t Easy Being Green
|
Nudges can change behavior, but for many societal problems like climate change, they are not sufficient.
environment
New Jersey Sues Companies Over PFAS Contamination
|
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
|
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.
App NEWS
Bipartisan Bills Have PA Powered 100% By Renewable Energy
|
“It’s not just about the environment. It’s about jobs. These are great, high-paying jobs we can create by going to renewable energy.”
Uncategorized
PA Prosecutors Eye Potential ‘Environmental Crimes.’
|
“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.”
Energy
PA Lawmaker Faces Backlash For Bringing Nazis Into Pipeline Debate
|
“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
|
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
|
“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?”
Environment
Snot Otter? Lasagna Lizard? By Any Name, It’s PA’s Official Amphibian
|
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
|
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
|
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.
Snot Otter Emerges Victorious In Vote For PA’s Official Amphibian
|
The Eastern hellbender salamander may not be a looker. But its sensitivity to pollution and changing water conditions makes the creature a useful indicator for water quality in rivers and streams.
App NEWS
What State Governments Are Doing About Plastic Bags — And What Might Happen With PA’s Proposed Ban
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
Gas, Nuclear Lobbies Butt Heads As PA Senate Takes Up Nuclear-Rescue Bill
|
“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.”
Is New York’s Plastic Bag Ban Garbage?
|
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?
App NEWS
Sunoco Agrees To Settlement After Mariner East 1 Leak
|
If approved, company will pay $200,000 fine and step up safety inspections of aging pipeline
Energy
40 Years Later, The Prospect Of A Three Mile Island Evacuation Remains
|
“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
|
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.
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”
Energy
PA Lawmaker Talks Up Nuclear Bailout Bill; Opponents Line Up To Trash It
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
News
Erie Canal Corporation Wraps Up Embankment Work This Summer
|
Renovations on the Erie Canal have been causing a rift between some canal side residents and the state’s Canal Corporation for about a yearnow.A final set of public meetings will be held Monday & Tuesday ahead of the last phase of the project.
Energy
Energy Transfer CEO: ‘We’ve Made Mistakes’ In Building Mariner East
|
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?
|
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.
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.
binghamton
Schumer Calls For Reauthorization Of Funding For Some Finger Lakes Attractions
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Senator Chuck Schumer was in the Finger Lakes region Monday, urging members of the House to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Schumer says it provides critical funding that protects water resources and historical sites in every county across the U.S.
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.
economy
Will Tench Be The Next Great Lakes Invasive-Species Problem?
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Canadian researchers are studying how to help prevent the spread of this fish
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.
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.
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.
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
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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.
Crime and Justice
Following Court Ruling, PA Drillers Must Pay Millions In Outstanding Fees
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Natural gas companies must pay millions of dollars in outstanding impact fees to the state, following a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling.
environment
PA Researcher Helps Document Deforestation, ‘Mass Extinction’ In Haiti
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More than half of the country’s species predicted to be gone by 2035
binghamton
How You Can Recycle Your Christmas tree
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Scientists from Cornell have a few tips for those of you who cut down Christmas trees, now that the holiday is behind us. Brian Eshenaur is the lead arborist for Cornell Botanic Gardens and says there are plenty of ways to recycle those trees.
Economy
Spills, Shutdowns And Legal Challenges: A Tumultuous Year For Mariner East 2
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Sunoco said in November that it would start operations of the frequently delayed Mariner East 2 pipeline by the end of 2018.
Energy
Solar Co-ops Grow In Pennsylvania
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While the bulk of solar energy in Pennsylvania exists in the eastern half of the state, co-ops are popping up across western part of the commonwealth to help people go solar.
Government
New Yorkers Dealing With Contaminated Drinking Water Want Tougher State Action
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The state’s Drinking Water Quality Council has issued what it considers to be safe levels for exposure to toxic chemicals, including PFOAs and PFOS that have been found in high quantities in some of New York’s drinking water supplies.
Crime and Justice
District Attorney Opens Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipeline Project
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The Chester County District Attorney said Wednesday he is opening a criminal investigation into Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline project because it has caused sinkholes, contaminated water and has resulted in “not so subtle bullying” of residents.
Environment
Pennsylvania Joins Regional Effort To Cut Emissions From Vehicles
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Pennsylvania, along with eight states and Washington, D.C., announced plans Tuesday to create a new regional cap for carbon emissions from vehicles to combat climate change.
Education
PA Researchers Push For Answers On Carbon Capture: Will It Stay Where We Put It?
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If power plants that burn fossil fuels could capture their carbon emissions and store them somewhere, it would go a long way toward preventing greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
Energy
PennEast Pipeline Can Take New Jersey Lands Using Eminent Domain
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The PennEast Pipeline Co. can take private land through eminent domain to build a natural gas pipeline, a New Jersey federal judge ruled on Friday.
Energy
PA Unveils Proposal To Reduce Emissions From Existing Oil, Gas Wells
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Pennsylvania environmental officials have come out with a plan to reduce leaks from thousands of the state’s oil and gas wells.
Energy
Judge Denies Emergency Petition For Mariner East Shutdown
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Suit brought by seven residents fails on all four requirements
Featured in Category
A New Coal Mine’s Opening In Pennsylvania. Is Trump To Thank?
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“We’re not dead yet, we’ve still got a pulse in Mahanoy City. Thank God Trump lifted all the regulations on coal…coal is gonna be king.”
Crime and Justice
Judge Grants First Eminent Domain Case To PennEast in Pennsylvania
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A federal judge granted PennEast Pipeline Co. the right of eminent domain to build its pipeline on a property in Carbon County, in the first ruling of its kind over the controversial project in a Pennsylvania court.
Environment
Health Fears Have Hunters Shifting To Copper Bullets
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Frank Femia runs Klubfunstore Guns and Ammo in Henrietta, where the popular ammunition this season is copper bullets. “It’s been hard finding them because everyone’s been sold out of them and it’s been hard to keep in stock,” Femia said.
Environment
Gillibrand Calls On Federal Government To Implement Changes In Airport Firefighting Foam
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for the implementation of a law that would allow airports to stop using toxic chemicals that are said to poison local waterways.
Energy
Mariner East Pipelines: Judge Reviews Request For Immediate Shutdown
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – An administrative law judge for the state Public Utility Commission heard testimony this week on whether Sunoco can operate its controversial Mariner East pipelines — a set of export lines moving natural gas liquids across Pennsylvania — while the judge reviews a request to permanently shut down the lines.
Energy
State Officials Push Growth Of Wind Power In New York
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If New York state hopes to reach a goal of getting half of its electricity from renewable resources by the year 2030, wind energy will have to be part of the formula. That was the focus of a wind summit held in Syracuse this week, and boosters of wind power are optimistic it will happen.
Energy
Leaky Coal Ash Pond Seeks New Pollution Permit From PA
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Permit will cover 16 newly discovered seeps coming out of Little Blue
Environment
Climate Petition Calls On PA To Cut Emissions Through Cap-And-Trade System
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(Harrisburg) — Pennsylvania environmental regulators have the legal authority and constitutional duty to place limits on greenhouse gas emissions, according to a petition filed Tuesday by dozens of groups including environmental organizations, legal scholars, religious groups, local governments, and citizens.