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!
|
“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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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?
|
Canadian researchers are studying how to help prevent the spread of this fish
Economy
Solar Jobs Grow In Pennsylvania While Declining Nationally
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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?
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
More than half of the country’s species predicted to be gone by 2035
binghamton
How You Can Recycle Your Christmas tree
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
Environment
PA To Hold Public Meeting On PFAS Contamination
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The state Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a public meeting to address concerns over a group of chemicals, known as PFOA and PFOS that have been contaminating drinking water.
Education
Mariner East 2 12-Inch Pipe Passed Safety Inspections, PA Tells School Superintendents
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A 12-inch pipeline that Sunoco plans to use as a temporary part of the Mariner East project has passed state and federal safety inspections, according to a letter from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s head of pipeline safety.
Energy
New Plan Calls For 10% Solar Power In PA By 2030
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Pennsylvania could lower its greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and improve public health if it got more power from the sun. That’s according to a new report from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Energy
Natural Gas Operator Fined For Causing Leak Into Monongahela River
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — State environmental officials have fined natural gas operator EQT for drilling into an old mine in 2017 and releasing 4 million gallons of abandoned mine drainage into the Monongahela River and surrounding wetlands in Allegheny County.
Energy
Sunoco Expects Hybrid Mariner East 2 To Start Operating By Year’s End
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Sunoco’s Mariner East 2 pipeline across Pennsylvania will begin operating in the current quarter, the company’s parent, Energy Transfer, said on Thursday.
Energy
PA Regulators Adopt New Policy, Clearing Confusion Over Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Pennsylvania utility regulators approved a new policy aimed at clarifying rules about how power is resold, in an effort to promote investment in public electric vehicle charging stations.
Environment
PA Audit Knocks Susquehanna River Commission’s Spending
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HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — A state audit of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission has uncovered more than $20,000 in food expenses and employee perks it labeled “extravagant,” and “questionable” from summer 2016 to this year.
environment
The Love and Lore of Lake Erie’s Wetlands
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By the time dawn’s first vermilion fingers tickle the east’s black sky, hunters in a dozen-plus marshes have slogged, sometimes chest-deep, through marshes to arrive at blinds – often constructed, sometimes mostly natural – to await the arrival of ducks, large and small, drab and bright, slow and fast.
Energy
PA Orders Revolution Pipeline Owner To Fix Erosion Problems
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – State regulators have ordered the owner of a pipeline that experienced a catastrophic explosion last month to fix inadequate erosion control measures in several locations along its route.
economy
EPA Head Says Rollbacks Will Keep Environment Clean, Economy Up
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – At an oil and gas conference in Pittsburgh Wednesday, Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler touted the Trump administration’s moves to roll back over 70 environmental regulations, telling the crowd the rollbacks will make America’s air and water cleaner while keeping the economy booming.
Environment
Climate Change: Not A Big Deal In PA’s Race For Governor
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — A report out this month from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a pretty dire picture. By 2040, the world faces myriad crises — including food shortages, extreme weather, wildfires and a mass die-off of coral reefs — unless emissions are cut sharply.
Environment
Bloomberg Announces $2.5-Million Gifts To Tackle Climate Change In PA
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York who’s weighing a presidential bid in 2020, visited Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on Sunday to announce that both cities will receive up to $2.5 million to combat climate change.
Energy
Sunoco: Mariner East 2 Delayed To 2020 And Offers Substitute
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — Sunoco said late Wednesday it will begin to pump natural gas liquids across the state by joining three new and existing pipes because its long-delayed Mariner East pipeline project won’t be ready for another two years.
Energy
PA Awards Water Quality-Related Grants Funded By $12.6M Penalty Against Sunoco
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — Remember the $12.6 million penalty on Sunoco for dozens of permit violations during construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline? The Department of Environmental Protection said at the time it would turn that penalty into grants for projects related to water quality, watershed restoration and stormwater management. The DEP just put out a list of where that money is going.
Oysters On The Half Shell Are Actually Saving New York’s Eroding Harbor
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More than 70 New York City restaurants are pouring their discarded shells into the Billion Oyster Project, through which students recycle and transform them into healthy reefs in once-toxic waters.
Environment
Green Party Candidate Says It’s All About Fighting Climate Change
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The Green Party candidate for state comptroller, Marc Dunlea, said he isn’t in the race to win but rather to highlight one key issue — combating climate change.
Energy
PA’s Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Goes Into Full Service This Weekend
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A major new natural gas transmission pipeline will come online this weekend. Oklahoma-based Williams Partners said it has received approval from federal regulators to put its Atlantic Sunrise pipeline into full service on Oct. 6.
Decades Old Chemicals, New Angst Over Region’s Drinking Water
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Around New York and Pennsylvania, communities are learning their drinking water is polluted with a potentially harmful group of chemicals. The Trump Administration is working on a plan to manage them.
environment
Wolf Sets Up Government Panel To Study PFAS Chemicals
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Advocates: Move is a positive step but won’t protect public unless health limits are set
Energy
PA Moving Forward With Emission Rules For Existing Oil And Gas Sources
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The state Department of Environmental Protection is moving forward with plans to regulate harmful air pollution from Pennsylvania’s thousands of oil and gas sites.
Energy
Shale Industry: Taxpayers Should Foot Part Of The Bill For Oil And Gas Oversight
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Since the Marcellus Shale industry took off a decade ago, there seemed to be a consensus that Pennsylvania’s oil and gas companies would pay for the oversight — the time, personnel, and equipment state environmental regulators need to do their jobs.
Energy
FERC Urged To Block Tree-Cutting Before Final Decisions On PennEast Pipeline
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The Delaware River Basin Commission asked a federal regulator to prevent PennEast cutting trees in the basin before it issues any approval for its controversial natural gas pipeline project in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to documents released on Wednesday.
Energy
Over Half Of PA Gas Wells Used ‘Secret’ Chemicals For Fracking Or Drilling, Report Says
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Drillers withheld information on at least one chemical in some 2,500 wells, citing trade secrets
Energy
Bringing The Forest Back After Shale Gas
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Pennsylvania is trying to figure out how to regrow forests after fracking.
Environment
As Public Concern On PFAS Rises, EPA Urged To Set Enforceable Health Standard
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At Congressional hearing, advocates say federal government needs to address contamination concerns
Energy
Sunoco’s 12-Inch Pipeline Leaked 33,000 Gallons Of Gasoline Into Creek
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Aging pipeline, which has leaked before, will be used to temporarily carry natural gas liquids
Pennsylvania Prisons Locked Down After Staff Exposed To Suspected Tainted Drugs
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The case in Pennsylvania follows similar incidents in Ohio and Arkansas in which prison staff and inmates have been exposed to drugs, including fentanyl and K2.
Education
Schumer Calls On Federal Government To Investigate Toxins In School Supplies
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Countless parents across New York are purchasing new school supplies for students.
Energy
Flaws In Pipeline Coating Prompt Sunoco To Replace A Section Of Mariner East 2
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Delaware County township confirms excavation of new line. It’s scheduled to be operational in about a month.
binghamton
Hoosick Falls Study Finds More Illnesses Linked To PFOA Exposure
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ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – A Bennington College survey of residents in the PFOA-contaminated village of Hoosick Falls in eastern New York finds higher rates of illnesses among residents exposed to the toxic substance than did a previous study conducted by the New York State Health Department.
Energy
Trump Administration Unveils Plan To Replace Obama’s Signature Climate Initiative
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The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled its proposal to replace the Obama administration’s signature climate initiative, the Clean Power Plan, weakening rules designed to limit emissions from coal-fired power plants.
environment
Fracking On The Rise In PA, As Are Radon Levels. Are The Two Connected?
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Pennsylvania homes have high levels of radon, a substantial risk factor for lung cancer. Is the fracking boom makings matters worse? Scientists aren’t quite sure.
Energy
Fracking Industry Water Use Rises As Drills Extend, Study Says
|
Marcellus region shows smallest increase in water use but quadruples frack waste from 2011-16
Energy
Federal Regulators Sued After Denying Rehearing Requests For PennEast Approval
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Environmental groups are suing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over its approval of the proposed PennEast natural gas pipeline, saying the regulator ignored legal requirements to consider the project’s climate-change impacts, and failed to establish that the pipeline is needed.
environment
In The Poconos, A Fight Simmers Over ‘Exceptional’ Streams
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A battle is brewing over how to protect streams in the Poconos.
binghamton
40 years After Federal Emergency Declaration, Activist Lois Gibbs On Love Canal,
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BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – A movement that started with scared homeowners, strange smells and a collection of health symptoms celebrates an anniversary today. Forty years after President Jimmy Carter first declared Love Canal a national health emergency, former housewife and activist Lois Gibbs looks back and realizes that the people she mobilized were the start of something a lot bigger.
Economy
In Rarity For GOP, PA Congressman Pushes For Carbon Tax
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – In a rare move for Republican lawmakers, U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County and Carlos Curbelo of Florida have teamed up to introduce a climate change bill — a big one.
Environment
PA Prepares To Sue Over Expected Trump Vehicle Emission Changes
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HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — The Wolf administration is voicing concerns that the federal government will reduce states’ abilities to use a vehicle emission standard that’s tougher than the federal one.
Energy
Natural Gas Development In PA State Forests Has Slowed Significantly
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The build out of natural gas infrastructure in Pennsylvania’s state forest system has slowed dramatically in recent years, according to a new report from the Department of Conservation and Natural resources.
Energy
PA Orders Companies To Plug Over 1,000 Abandoned Oil, Gas Wells
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – State environmental officials have ordered three companies to plug more than 1,000 abandoned oil and gas wells.
Energy
New Mariner East Troubles: Spill In Western PA, Exposed Pipeline Outside Philadelphia
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Sunoco is facing more challenges to its troubled Mariner East pipelines with a major spill of drilling fluids into a Cambria County wetland and the exposure of a section of the existing Mariner East 1 line in Chester County near Philadelphia.
binghamton
Green Party Candidate Wants Tougher Safety Standards To Prevent Lead Poisoning
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – Green party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins called on the state Wednesday to get tougher when it comes to preventing lead poisoning in children.
Crime and Justice
With Policy Change, Nearly A Third Of Pennsylvanians Live In ‘Environmental Justice’ Areas
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The state Department of Environmental Protection is expanding the number of people who are considered to live in an environmental justice area — a designation aimed at protecting poor and minority communities that often bear the brunt of industrial development and pollution.
Energy
Independent Study Examines Public Safety Risks Of Mariner East Pipelines
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Community group commissions ‘quantitative risk analysis’ after county council deadlocks on proposal
binghamton
Consumer Group Calls On Local Governments To Stop Using Toxic Chemicals On Public Property
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Empire State Consumer Project has published its 2018 Government Pesticide Survey, highlighting the hazards of common pesticides used on local government properties.
Energy
New York State Denies Application For Finger Lakes Propane Storage Facility
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is rejecting a proposal to put a controversial gas storage facility on the shore of Seneca Lake.
Energy
Schuyler County Reverses Position On Propane Storage Project
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ROCHESTER, NY (WSKG) – Already facing opposition from local municipalities and hundreds of businesses and property owners, a Houston company’s plans to store propane and natural gas in abandoned salt mines on the shore of Seneca Lake has been dealt another blow.
binghamton
What Killed A Bill To Stop The Finger Lakes Trash Incinerator Project?
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – In the waning days of the New York State Legislature’s session, a bill meant to stop a trash incinerator from being built in the Finger Lakes sailed through the Senate and an Assembly committee with unanimous support. But when it reached the Assembly floor, it sat untouched as the session came to a close.
environment
Republican Congressman: EPA Head Should Quit
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick called on Monday for the resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, saying Pruitt had tried to block the release of a federal health study on chemicals that have contaminated public water supplies in some places.
NY Assembly Fails To Vote On Bill That Would Stop Romulus Trash Incinerator
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ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – A bill that would have stopped a proposed trash incinerator in the Town of Romulus failed to get a vote in the New York legislature before the session ended last week.
Energy
Rachel Carson Trail Has A New Feature: A Fracking Well
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Rig forced relocation of part of trail named for environmental icon
climate change
Study: Methane Emissions Cancel Near-Term Climate Benefits Of Natural Gas
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A new study published today in the journal Science finds climate-damaging methane emissions from the nation’s oil and gas industry are nearly 60 percent higher than Environmental Protection Agency estimates — effectively negating the near-term benefits of burning more natural gas.
Economy
Report: Jobs In Efficiency, Renewables Grow In PA While Clean Transportation Lags
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A new report shows that jobs in most parts of Pennsylvania’s clean energy industry grew over the past year.
Coal
Coal Ash Uncovered: New Data Reveal Widespread Contamination
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For generations, coal power has fueled American prosperity. But for each shovelful thrown into the furnaces, a pile of ash was left in its place.
Energy
PA Governor Signs Bill To Help Finance Clean Energy, Efficiency Projects
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Governor Tom Wolf signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday, aimed at helping commercial property owners finance the costs of installing renewable energy, water conservation, and energy efficiency upgrades.
Environment
Trash Incinerator Opponents Increase Pressure On New York Lawmakers
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Opponents of a proposed Finger Lakes waste-to-energy facility are increasing pressure on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation to ban the operation before the end of the legislative session next week.
Environment
Public-Interest Groups Raise Pressure On Feds To Release Toxic Chemical Study
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Fifty-three public-interest organizations are pressing the federal government to release a study on the health effects of a class of chemicals that have been linked to cancer, immune-system problems and developmental issues in young children.
Energy
Senator Schumer Wants Safety Regulations For Trains Carrying Crude Oil
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration says the amount of crude oil being shipped by rail through New York state has increased. This includes Bakken crude oil, a highly volatile version of crude oil.
Environment
Fight Over Finger Lakes Trash Incinerator Going To Court
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – A controversial trash incinerator project in the Finger Lakes is headed to court. The company trying to build the $365 million facility, Rochester-based Circular enerG, is asking a judge to void a decision by the town of Romulus’ zoning board that would stop its construction.
Energy
Study Finds Health Threats Posed By Oil And Gas Wastewater Sprayed On Roads
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Spreading oil and gas wastewater has been a common and cheap way for municipalities to suppress dust on unpaved roads in parts of Pennsylvania for years.
Environment
Environmental Advocates Applaud Bipartisan Support For Carbon Fee And Dividend
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is making progress in its efforts to get federal legislation introduced to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Last Straw For Plastic Straws? From New York To Alaska, There’s A Move To Toss These Sippers
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As awareness grows about the environmental toll of single-use plastics, U.S. retailers and regulators alike are finding ways to decrease their use. And straws have become a prime target.
Environment
PA Congressman: ‘Unacceptable’ For EPA Head To Say He Can’t Release Chemical Study
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A Pennsylvania Republican Congressman accused EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt of continuing to block publication of a federal government study that reportedly shows public health is at greater risk from a class of chemicals in the environment than the EPA says it is.
Environment
EPA Will Weigh Regulation Of Two Toxic Chemicals. Advocates Skeptical
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At national summit, administrator says concern about PFAS chemicals has become a national issue
Energy
Environmental Group: PA Governor Misusing Money From Gas Drilling
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – An environmental group says Governor Tom Wolf is ignoring a nearly year-old state Supreme Court ruling that prohibits him from using revenue from oil and gas drilling on state land for purposes other than conservation.
Energy
Plans To Promote Cheaper, Renewable Energy On Agenda At Regional Climate Summit
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – Central New York is taking the next step in the fight against climate change with something called Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA. It’s going to be one of the major topics at a regional Climate Solutions Summit in Syracuse this weekend.
Environment
White House Feared PR ‘Nightmare’ Over Agency’s Stricter Chemical Limits, Emails Show
|
A federal agency plans new limits on a class of toxic chemicals that are stricter than those issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, and which would cause a “public relations nightmare” if they were published without coordination with other agencies, EPA officials have warned.
Environment
Governor, Other New York Leaders Join Opposition To Finger Lakes Trash Incinerator
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – A group of Finger Lakes residents took a bus to Albany Tuesday to continue their fight against a proposed 48-acre trash incinerator facility that would burn solid municipal waste brought in by truck and or rail.
Energy
PA’s Abandoned Mines To Get $55M In Cleanup Money
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will spend $55 million on abandoned mine cleanup projects around the state.
Energy
As Transit Agencies Inch Toward Electric Buses, Environmental Groups Want More Progress
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Environmental advocates in Pennsylvania want to see a faster switch to electric buses to help eliminate emissions that can worsen asthma and cause other health problems.
Ann Carlson
Lawsuits Took Down Big Tobacco. Can They Make Oil Companies Accountable For Climate Change?
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Large cities like New York, along with smaller cities and counties in California, want the big oil companies to pay for the harm their products have caused in the form of rising seas, floods and drought. Better science and clear evidence of deception give these lawsuits far more traction than in the past.
Environment
Agencies Bet Millions That Restoring Mussels In The Delaware River Basin Can Improve Water Quality
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TATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Freshwater mussels function as nature’s water treatment plants. Each animal can filter up to 600 gallons of water per month. Working together, they can dramatically clean the water of the rivers they live in.
Energy
Study Shows Exposure To Fracking Chemicals Impairs Immune System In Mice
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – University of Rochester researchers say a new study offers some clues about the potential affects of groundwater contaminated by fracking chemicals on the immune system.
CA, PA And NY Sue The EPA To Protect Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Standards
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California is leading a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to weaken car emissions standards. EPA chief Scott Pruitt says the rules, designed to fight climate change, are too strict.
Energy
PA House Panel OKs Bill To Gut Environmental Standards For Conventional Drillers
|
TATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A state House committee has approved a controversial bill to eliminate many environmental requirements for Pennsylvania’s conventional oil and gas industry.
Environment
PA Governor Watches Sixers Game With Major Donor, Skips Environmental Awards Ceremony
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Governor Wolf spent Tuesday evening courtside at the Philadelphia 76ers game, skipping the 2018 Governors Awards for Environmental Excellence ceremony in Harrisburg.
Energy
As Nuclear Power Loses Ground To Natural Gas, Environmentalists Are Torn
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The natural gas boom was supposed to help the electric sector lower its carbon footprint by replacing old, carbon dioxide-spewing coal plants with newer, lower-emitting natural gas plants. And to a degree, that’s happened. As coal plants have retired, carbon emissions from the power sector have decreased.
economy
Wegmans, Tops Concerned With Proposed Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Wegmans is responding to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal this week to ban single-use plastic bags.
Energy
Following Spills, PA Stops Pipeline Work At Delaware County Site
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – More than 100 spills have occurred during the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline, and now, another troublesome spot has emerged in Delaware County outside Philadelphia.
Energy
Called A Rubber Stamp By Critics, FERC Reviews Approval Policies For Natural Gas Pipelines
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The federal government has opened a review on whether its policies governing approval of interstate natural-gas pipelines should be revamped, an issue often raised by critics of the rapid expansion of industry infrastructure in New Jersey.
environment
New York Governor Proposes Ban On Plastic Grocery Bags
|
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a bill to ban plastic grocery bags in New York, but not everyone is praising him for it.
Elections
Nixon And Hawkins Hit Governor On Energy Policies
|
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Two of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s political opponents were at an Earth Day rally on climate change attended by hundreds at the state Capitol Monday, where they said the governor’s energy policies are far from adequate.
Education
Explore the Outdoors with PBS KIDS!
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PBS KIDS celebrates Earth Month with its annual Explore the Outdoors initiative and a special week of Nature Cat, Splash and Bubbles, and Wild Kratts episodes. Catch this special week of programming on WSKG TV:
April 23 | 6:00am & 3:30pm | Wild Kratts ‘Cheeks The Hamster’
April 23 | 8:00am & 3:00pm | Nature Cat ‘Lets Talk Turkey Vulture/Prescription: Nature’
April 23 | 10:30am | Splash and Bubbles ‘Seal Sitters/from Ray to Zee’
April 24 | 6:00am & 3:30pm | Wild Kratts ‘Wild Ponies’
April 24 | 8:00am & 3:00pm | Nature Cat ‘Enter The Dragonfly/Water Woe’s’
April 24 | 10:30am | Splash and Bubbles ‘The Sea Sparkles/Tyke and Seek’
April 25 | 6:00am & 3:30pm | Wild Kratts ‘Elephant Brains!’ April 25 | 8:00am & 3:00pm | Nature Cat ‘Garden Impossible/Agents of the Great Outdoors’
April 25 | 10:30am | Splash and Bubbles ‘Lights Out!/Catching Some Zzzs’
April 26 | 6:00am & 3:30pm | Wild Kratts ‘Sloth Bear Suction’
April 26 | 10:30am | Splash and Bubbles ‘The Job Search/Reeftown’s Got Talent!’
Explore the Outdoors Activities from PBS KIDS:
Wild Kratts Nature Journal (pdf)
Curious George’s Pinwheel (pdf)
I Spy Peg (pdf)
Dinosaur Train’s Nature Collection (pdf)
Dee’s Nature Poetry (pdf)
Economy
Five Takeaways From StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Forum On Gas Royalties
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StateImpact Pennsylvania hosted an educational forum Monday in Towanda, Bradford County to examine how Pennsylvania and other major energy-producing states are dealing with disputes of oil and gas royalties.
Energy
Fracking Dispute Heads To Court With PA’s Environmental Rights Amendment At Center Of Lawsuit
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A dispute over a local law that opens up much of a Pittsburgh suburb to oil and gas drilling has made it to a Westmoreland County courtroom.
Energy
PA To Spend $25M To Clean A Dozen Abandoned Coal Mine Sites
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STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Pennsylvania announced approval of $25 million in funding for cleanup of abandoned mines at 12 sites around the state.
New York’s “Poo Choo-Choo” Stinks Up Alabama Town
|
There isn’t a way to put this mildly: Large containers of human poop have been sitting in an Alabama town since February. “It smells like dead bodies,” one resident says.
environment
Canadians Visit New York Forests, Searching For Information On Invasive Pest
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) As the invasive species the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid continues to spread across New York, our neighbors to the North are trying to get ahead of the problem.
Energy
Poll: Public Concern Grows Over Natural Gas Industry’s Environmental Impact
|
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A majority of Pennsylvanians still support the natural gas industry, but a new opinion poll shows the number of people concerned about its environmental impact is growing.
Environment
Emergency Repairs To Erie Canal Not Sitting Well With Neighbors
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – With recent emergency repairs announced along parts of the Erie Canal, already disgruntled neighbors are speaking out again.
Energy
Jessup Frustrated With PA’s Response To Yellow Power Plant Smoke
|
Residents of Jessup say they are not satisfied with the response from the state Department of Environmental Protection, after a new natural gas power plant spewed yellow-colored smoke and prompted health complaints earlier this month. The Invenergy plant being built in Lackawanna County started emitting noxious smoke on March 3. According to Jessup Borough Council President Jerry Crinella, DEP sent two people to investigate on March 6, but after they walked around, they said they couldn’t see or smell anything. Read full story here.
Energy
Sunoco Spills Drilling Fluid Into Lebanon County Creek For Third Time
|
Sunoco spilled more drilling fluid into a Lebanon County creek on Thursday as it resumed construction for its controversial Mariner East pipelines at that location.
Energy
Ginna Nuclear Plant Back Up To Full Power
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Ginna Nuclear Power Plant is now back up to full capacity. The plant was offline late last week because of a power problem at a transformer that was not part of Ginna, and is located offsite.
Energy
Ginna Nuclear Plant Back Online, But Not At Full Capacity
|
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Wayne County is partially back on line. As WXXI News reported last week, the plant had to be taken off-line last Thursday due to an electrical problem off site, at a nearby RG&E transformer.
environment
Judge Suspends Clear Cutting Along Erie Canal
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A state judge on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Towns of Pittsford, Perinton and Brighton in their effort to halt the clear cutting of trees along the Erie Canal, at least until the Canal Corporation and the New York Power Authority comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
Energy
Yellow Smoke, Health Complaints Prompt Investigation At Scranton Gas Power Plant
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SCRANTON, PA (State Impact PA) Pennsylvania environmental regulators are looking into health complaints after residents say a natural gas power plant being built near Scranton started emitting noxious, greenish-yellow smoke over the weekend.
Energy
Federal Government Unveils $55M Cleanup At PA’s Abandoned Mines
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Ryan Zinke, President Trump’s Interior Secretary, came to Western Pennsylvania to tout the federal government’s abandoned mine cleanup program. It was an appropriate setting.
Environment
EPA Restores Funding To News Outlet Covering Chesapeake Bay
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The Environmental Protection Agency agreed Thursday to restore $325,000 in funding to the Bay Journal, a print and online news outlet covering environmental issues related to the Chesapeake Bay.
Energy
Author Answers Hot-Button Questions On Fracking, Including Climate Impact
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As Pennsylvania’s gas boom helps propel the United States away from coal-fired power, one energy researcher says the impact on climate change will be a wash. Burning natural gas for electricity emits less carbon dioxide than burning coal. That’s good news for climate change in the short term, but a number of other factors negate the long-term benefits of transitioning to more natural gas power, said Daniel Raimi, a senior research associate with the think tank Resources for the Future. Read full story here.
Energy
How A Reporter’s #NoDAPL Photo Wound Up In The Russia Investigations
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I stumbled across a Washington Post story this morning that describes how Russia’s Internet Research Agency tried to manipulate the debate over energy-related issues in the United States via social media.
Energy
Environmental Groups Seek Injunction To Halt Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction
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Several environmental groups have asked the Commonwealth Court for an injunction to halt Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners’ Mariner East 2 pipeline construction.
environment
Finger Lakes Residents Ask Governor To Reject Proposed Trash Incinerator Project
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – In the ongoing debate over a proposed waste to energy facility at the Seneca Army Depot, a group of residents and business owners who are opposed to the project traveled to Albany Tuesday to call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject it.
Energy
Sunoco Appeals PA’s Stop Work Order
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Sunoco is appealing the Department of Environmental Protection’s January 3 order to halt construction on the Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids pipeline.
Environment
Environmentalists Want More Action From PA Governor…More Talk Would Be Nice, Too
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Environmental groups are pushing Governor Tom Wolf to advocate more for green causes as the Democrat gears up for the final year of his first term and runs for reelection.
economy
Delaware River Basin Fracking Ban Hearings Focus On Environment, Economy
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The Delaware River Basin Commission heard its first public comments on the proposal to ban fracking in the watershed this week in Wayne County and Philadelphia. If the DRBC approves the proposal, it would cement a current de-facto moratorium on drilling. But it remains controversial.
Energy
Fenton Zoning Board Wants More Time To Consider Proposed Gas Transfer Station
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The Zoning Board of Appeals in the Town of Fenton in Broome County wants some time to go over information before deciding whether a proposed natural transfer station can move forward.
A Few IBMers Learn The Latest Details In Clean Up Of Endicott’s Toxic Plume
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The front row of folding chairs was empty. Eight people showed up to the meeting in the hall at the First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue, just a block away from the Huron Campus. It’s a tragic story: IBM employed the town, cut their jobs, then left Endicott contaminated. These folks have been through a lot – they have friends and relatives with cancer. One guy is working on a film about the contamination.
environment
Hearing Will Scrutinize Use Of Money In PA’s Special Environmental Funds
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As state lawmakers continue to search for ways to plug an estimated billion-dollar budget hole, they are taking a renewed look at state agencies’ use of special funds, including money dedicated to environmental programs.
Energy
Judge Fines Environmental Attorneys $52,000 For ‘Frivolous’ Injection Well Suit
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A federal judge has ordered a pair of attorneys for an environmental group to pay $52,000 in legal fees to an energy company because, the judge said, they filed a “frivolous” legal challenge to a fracking waste injection well in Indiana County. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Paradise Baxter of the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled the attorneys, Thomas Linzey and Elizabeth Dunne, should pay part of Pennsylvania General Energy’s (PGE) legal fees for advancing a “discredited” legal argument that had already been defeated in prior decisions. In addition to the fine, the judge referred Linzey to the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Board for additional discipline. Read full story here.
Energy
A Surge, Then A Fade For Pennsylvania’s Wind Industry
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While the wind power industry booms across the United States thanks to favorable federal and state policies, the development of new wind farms has stalled in Pennsylvania. More than two dozen wind farms popped up across the state leading up to 2012, but only one in the years since. Read full story here.
Crime and Justice
MLK’s Environmental Justice Legacy Threatened By Trump Administration Cuts
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It was a stormy night in Memphis, Tennessee, and Martin Luther King Jr. wasn’t feeling very well. He had a slight fever and a sore throat, and felt exhausted after the trip to the city that would see him die. But he got up from his bed at the Lorraine Motel and joined hundreds of striking sanitation workers gathered at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple. Public garbage collectors were demanding equal rights and accusing the city of neglect and abuse. It was April 3rd 1968, the night before his assassination, and the third time he had traveled to Memphis to support the strike.
Environment
Proposed Waste-To-Energy Trash Incinerator Causing Stir In Finger Lakes
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SYRACUSE (WRVO) – A proposed incinerator in Seneca County that could turn trash into electricity is drawing some criticism from the community. The Rochester-based Circular enerG wants to build the 48-acre facility on part of the now empty Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, a Finger Lakes town between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. It would burn solid municipal waste, brought in by truck and or rail, to power a turbine. The company hopes to start construction on the project in 2019 and be ready to start burning by 2021. At that point, Circular enerG estimates it could accept 1,300 tons of trash per day, resulting in less than 25 megawatts.
Coal
Federal Commission Kills Trump’s Plan To Save Coal Plants
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An independent federal commission terminated a Trump administration proposal that would have propped up struggling coal and nuclear plants. On Monday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — an independent body with both Republican and Democratic members – unanimously rejected the Department of Energy’s “Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule.”
The plan would have forced grid operators to guarantee “full recovery of costs” plus “a fair rate of return” to power plants that can keep 90 days of fuel on-site. Only coal and nuclear plants can do that. Read full story here.
economy
Report: Mariner East Pipelines Could Have $9-Billion Impact
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The Mariner East pipelines and related plant could have a potential $9 billion financial impact in the state over six years, according to a report by the firm EconsultSolutions. Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners, which is building the $2.5 billion pipeline, paid for the report. It analyzes the economic benefits of the Mariner East 1, 2, and 2X pipelines that will carry natural gas liquids from the western part of Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio about 350 miles across the state to a processing and export facility in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. Read full story here.
Environment
New York’s Green Party Offers Its Own ‘State Of The State’
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SYRACUSE (WRVO) – The Green Party in New York offered up its own State of State address last week, with a series of ideas the party says will push the state forward. Howie Hawkins, a two-time gubernatorial candidate for the Green Party, says there are things his party liked in Gov. Cuomo’s list of 2018 legislative priorities, but there’s not enough to pull them on board. “He’s socially progressive but economically, he’s pretty conservative,” said Hawkins. “And the system isn’t changing. And when you get to issues like poverty and the struggles of middle income people, he offers nothing.”
Hawkins says Cuomo’s 2018 legislative agenda doesn’t go far enough on several fronts, including promoting clean energy and reforming public campaign financing. And as far as a multi-billion dollar budget deficit the state faces, Hawkins says the answer is easy.
Energy
Trump Proposes Oil And Gas Drilling Off The Atlantic Coast
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President Trump wants to open up almost all federal waters to offshore drilling, including waters along the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware. The draft proposalcould lead to the largest lease sale ever. But the plan would face substantial opposition along the New Jersey and Delaware shorelines. Read full story here.
Algal Blooms
Cuomo Calls For Major Investment, New Approach To Algal Blooms
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing an investment of $65 million into fighting algal blooms that have created an increasing number of problems across the state in recent years. The Cuomo administration will target 12 priority lakes in four different regions that are vulnerable to harmful algal blooms. They are all different, and lessons learned form studying each lake would be applied to other similar lakes going forward. Greg Boyer of SUNY ESF in Syracuse has been studying algal blooms for years. He says this approach works because not all algal blooms are created equally. “It’s not going to be one size fits all,” Boyer said.
Environment
EPA Union Leader: Public Records Request Was ‘Retaliation’
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With looming budget cuts threatening jobs, employees at the Environmental Protection Agency have something else to worry about. A private agency investigated employees who criticized the EPA, according to a report in the New York Times. When EPA union official Gary Morton protested proposed budget cuts during his lunch hour last March outside EPA’s Region 3 headquarters in Center City Philadelphia, he didn’t think it would lead to a public records request regarding his emails. Read full story here.
New York’s Fracking Ban Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be
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In 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a bold statement by banning hydraulic fracturing in the Empire State, declaring alongside his health commissioner that “no child should live near” a shale-gas well because of its potential harm.
The governor’s proclamation made him a hero among environmentalists and persona non grata in the oil and gas industry. Energy in Depth, an industry-funded website, criticized Cuomo for basing the moratorium on dubious science “to kowtow to Yoko Ono, Mark Ruffalo, and all of the environmental pressure groups in New York.”
In truth, though, the picture is murkier, and Cuomo’s ban is less than absolute. Moratorium notwithstanding, New York is still reaping the rewards of fracking, importing shale gas from neighboring Pennsylvania and preparing to process it in a mammoth power plant under construction 65 miles northwest of New York City. Read full story here.
environment
States Sue EPA for Missing Ozone Deadline
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Pennsylvania is one of more than a dozen states suing the EPA for failing to enforce on an important air pollution regulation. In a federal lawsuit filed Monday, Pennsylvania and 13 other states, plus the District of Columbia, say the EPA blew by an October 1 deadline to designate which parts of the country are failing to meet recently tightened federal standards for ozone, or ground level smog. States use those designations to issue regulations on the amount of pollution that power plants, cars and factories can produce within their borders. Read full story here.
News
PA Eyes New Land For Abandoned Mine Cleanup
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Environmental officials in Pennsylvania have long focused on cleaning up the most hazardous old mines, but they plan to start addressing other abandoned mining sites that pose fewer public health dangers. Patrick McDonnell, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, announced Tuesday that his agency is developing a program aimed at converting these spaces into recreation areas. “Traditionally the moneys we’ve had available for mining have been focused on dangerous highwalls, major stream impacts, things like that,” he said. Red full story here.
News
Tompkins Health Department Warns Of Blue Green Algae In Cayuga Lake
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The Tompkins County Health Department says harmful blue-green algae has been found in Cayuga Lake. In a press release, the Department says the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been “visually identified” on each side of the Southern end of the lake, and that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed the HABs. Ingesting water infected by blue-green algae can make humans and pets ill. The Department is urging residents to look out for strongly colored water, a paint-like surface and floating mats or scum. You can see sample images here of both HABs and non-toxic green algal blooms. Boiling, chlorinating, or otherwise treating your water will not make it safe to use during a bloom. The Department has this instruction: “During a bloom, do not drink, prepare food, cook, or make ice with water from the lake or from beach wells.” Pets should also be kept from drinking untreated surface water.
News
This Huge Plant Can Cause Burns, Blindness
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Giant Hogweed is an invasive plant that can be dangerous to your health and the environment. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has a hotline to call if you think you see the plant. The state even has a Giant Hogweed Control Crew. Alexander Wyatt is on the crew. On a recent trip to Candor, NY, he and a partner cleared younger, smaller plants from a residence.
News
Lawmakers, PA Officials Clash Over Regulatory Oversight
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — GOP lawmakers and the Wolf administration have renewed their sparring over state government regulation, butting heads on environmental rules. The discussion in a House State Government committee meeting was ostensibly focused on Department of Environmental Protection regulations. However, it also delved into some more deep-seated disagreements over how the commonwealth is run. Officials from the DEP testified before the panel, primarily about general permit revisions to methane regulations, which some lawmakers contend need to have more legislative oversight. Secretary Patrick McDonnell maintained that the state is doing all it is required to under Independent Regulatory Review Commission guidelines. But as former DEP Secretary Mike Krancer pointed out, the issue goes beyond methane regulations.
News
Ithaca Researchers Find Oil Spill Cleanups Often Delayed
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ALBANY (WSKG) – Environmental advocates say that New York state officials could do a better job of cleaning up pollution sites caused by the fossil fuels industry that they say in some cases, have dragged on for decades. Cuomo’s environmental aides defend their record. An Ithaca-based environmental research group analyzed data on dozens of alleged toxic spills for just one company — Exxon Mobil. Walter Hang, with Toxics Targeting, says he got the idea to file a Freedom of Information Act request for all of the company’s sites being investigated by state officials when he was doing work last year against the proposed expansion of a gas pipeline across wide swaths of the state. Hang says he discovered the remains of a pipeline first constructed in the 1880s by Exxon Mobil’s predecessor, Standard Oil Company. It stretches from Olean, across the Southern Tier and into New Jersey.
Education
Swing Into Spring with Curious George
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You know it must be springtime if a curious monkey named George is dancing on the balcony at sunrise! The Man with the Yellow Hat is sure that George has spring fever, and he takes George to the park to experience all the wonders of spring. George is so excited about spring that he wants Hundley to have spring fever, too, but Hundley and the Doorman are busy trying to win the Mayor’s spring cleaning prize. When a broken water pipe floods the building, Hundley has to stay with George in the country, and George tries to make sure Hundley enjoys spring, too. Even blooming flowers, baby animals and a canoe ride can’t make Hundley love spring. What’s worse – Hundley gets lost in the country!
environment
Bit By Bit, The Cuyahoga River Is Made More Fish Friendly
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Hundreds of metal and wood structures have been installed along the river’s bulkheads so fish have shelter from ships.
Education
Wild Kratts: Back in Creature Time
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In the special, Aviva unveils her most secret invention yet – the Time Trampoline! Now the Kratts crew can jump back in time and finally meet extinct creatures like the Dodo bird and the mysterious Tasmanian Tiger. Part 1 | The Wild Kratts crew lament the extinction of different animals in recent history and how they’ll never ever be able to see them. Aviva decides that it’s finally time to unveil her most secret invention yet – the Time Trampoline! Using the trampoline, the Wild Kratts jump back in time to meet the extinct Dodo Bird of Mauritius.
Education
New PBS KIDS Episodes Encourage Families to Explore the Outdoors
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PBS KIDS celebrates Earth Month with its annual Explore the Outdoors initiative and a special week of new episodes of Nature Cat and Wild Kratts including the 100th episode of Wild Kratts on April 28 in a 100-themed show! Catch this special week of programming on WSKG TV. New Wild Kratts episodes will air beginning Monday, April 25, 2016 at 7:00am and 5:00pm. The new Nature Cat shows air at 8:00am and 3:30pm. https://youtu.be/lYzR411nfo4
Kids & Families
How are You Celebrating Earth Day?
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Earth Day was established in 1970 to give a voice to an emerging consciousness, channeling human energy toward environmental issues. It is a day to reflect to on how you can make a difference in creating a more sustainable world. Here are some PBS KIDS and PBS programs highlighting Earth Day activities:
Plum Landing game: A series of globetrotting ecosystem puzzles inspired by “escape room” adventure games. Plum Landing Nature Changer Game: Play as 30 different animals and customize game mechanics like speed, the number of predators, and goals for a nearly infinite amount of combinations! PSB KIDS Explore the Outdoors
Check out these PBS Earth Day specials. Frontline Heat covers a far-reaching investigation into America’s energy landscape and what can be done to save our planet – and what it will take.
Education
Celebrate the Outdoors with 'Cyberchase' Activities
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WSKG celebrates the environment with Cyberchase! Our Cyberchase pick of the week is this online collection of nature-themed activities that are low-cost/no-cost and easy to replicate at home or in the classroom. Topics include wind power, temperature, recycling, fog, ecosystems, and more. Cyberchase airs on WSKG TV Fridays at 5:30pm and Saturday & Sunday at 10:30am. Tune in to support math and environmental lessons.
Education
'Explore the Outdoors' Event to be Held Saturday at Tanglewood Nature Center
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Join WSKG’s Youth Focused team on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Tanglewood Nature Center. Activities will include a scavenger hunt, sensory safari, screenings of the new, hit PBS KIDS show Nature Cat, and more! This free event runs from 10:00am to noon and is open to the community. Call 607.732.6060 with questions. Parents, do your kids love Nature Cat?
Education
Explore the Outdoors with WSKG and Tanglewood Nature Center
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Join WSKG’s Youth Focused team on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Tanglewood Nature Center. Activities will include a scavenger hunt, sensory safari, screenings of the new, hit PBS KIDS show Nature Cat, and more! This free event runs from 10:00am to noon and is open to the community. Call 607.732.6060 with questions. Parents, do your kids love Nature Cat?
Education
Explore the Outdoors with WSKG and Tanglewood Nature Center
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Join WSKG’s Youth Focused team on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Tanglewood Nature Center. Activities will include a scavenger hunt, sensory safari, screenings of the new, hit PBS KIDS show Nature Cat, and more! This free event runs from 10:00am to noon and is open to the community. Call 607.732.6060 with questions. Parents, do your kids love Nature Cat?
Education
Seed to Table Lessons with 'Cyberchase'
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WSKG is proud to air Cyberchase and we love learning about math and the environment! Our Cyberchase pick of the week is the episode ‘A Seedy Business’ and you can watch it here:
Episode Description
The citizens of Factoria are back to work, but the benefactor of their factory is Hacker, and he serves the employees unhealthy meals from vending machines. To get the Factorians out of Hacker’s clutches, the CyberSquad must show them how to grow their own food. For Real segment: Harry and Bianca volunteer at a farm that raises organic livestock and grows healthy foods. They learn about proper gardening, and the benefits of eating seed-to-table.
Education
Families Encouraged to Explore the Outdoors at Tanglewood Nature Center
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Join WSKG’s Youth Focused team on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Tanglewood Nature Center. Activities will include a scavenger hunt, sensory safari, screenings of the new, hit PBS KIDS show Nature Cat, and more! This free event runs from 10:00am to noon and is open to the community. Call 607.732.6060 with questions. Parents, do your kids love Nature Cat?
Education
Artistic CYBERCHASE fans!
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Thank you to the talented Cyberchase fans from Binghamton, NY for sharing these creations with us!
We’re glad you liked learning about recycling, reusing, reducing, and recycling. Our planet will be a healthier place to live because you are taking care of your environment. Keep up the great work! Do you have a CYBERCHASE fan in your life?