The Allegheny Front

Pennsylvania's trees are facing a multitude of threats including fungus, insects, and worms, like the ones that cause beech leaf disease. American chestnut trees once thrived in our region, but 150 years ago a fungus wiped them out. Researchers and advocates are trying to bring them back, but they disagree on how to do it. Plus, we tag along with a crew trying to save hemlock trees from a sap-sucking invasive pest. A researcher in Ohio was surrounded by hundreds of dead ash trees that the emerald ash borer, a beetle, had wiped out. But in that same forest, she found a lone tree thriving. Could this tree be the key to saving ash from extinction?

The Northeast has faced a record-breaking drought this fall. It's impacting trees, including the ones we put in our homes at Christmas. Most steel is made using coal. A new report says emissions from plants that are part of this traditional steelmaking have serious consequences for public health. A new exhibit looks at the environmental implications of our fashion choices. Also, there's been a sharp decline of several Pennsylvania bat species from white-nose syndrome. A new federal conservation plan aims to keep development projects from making things worse. ClearWater Conservancy recently received two grants to help pay for its new Community Conservation Center, which will serve as a hub for land conservation and watershed protection in central Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is hopeful a state ban on Sunday hunting will be completely lifted next year. After an explosion at a fracking waste disposal site last year, nearby residents had concerns about impacts on health and the environment.

Last year the Biden administration tasked federal agencies with considering environmental justice in their decisionmaking. Some say that isn't happening as planning for the seven new hydrogen hubs moves forward nationwide. Water quality in Pennsylvania streams is being hindered by aging dams, many of which are dangerous and obsolete. Climate-related weather like flash floods and extreme heat impacts people experiencing homelessness. Also, an environmental group wants state regulators to tighten water pollution restrictions on a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh which has released oil into the Monongahela River. Friends of the Riverfront released a new plan for recreation in Pittsburgh’s three rivers. PECO, formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company, has agreed to add solar energy to its mix of sources that generate electricity for customers in southeast Pennsylvania.

This week on The Allegheny Front, the election. We'll hear from voters in Pennsylvania who are skeptical about climate change and solutions, like electric vehicles and solar energy. Environmental leaders react to what a second Trump administration will mean for the climate. And, how state elections might and might not impact environmental progress in Pennsylvania.

Democrats are hoping to get climate policy passed by flipping at least three seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate. But a race in Pittsburgh's suburbs is leaving the environment out. More rain as a result of climate change is causing landslides and testing planning decisions made decades ago. Money from the Inflation Reduction Act is starting to flow into Pennsylvania, but future funding could be threatened by a second Trump administration. Also, Pennsylvania will receive about $245 million this year to clean up abandoned mine lands. With the presidential election just days away, environmental justice advocates see high stakes for their communities. How the practice of forest bathing can relieve stress and put us in touch with nature.

What's at stake in the upcoming presidential race? Republicans say they want to repeal Biden’s big climate law, but the law also includes subsidies for a product oil and gas companies are interested in—hydrogen. Independent research after the East Palestine train derailment found many of the same chemicals that were officially reported in the aftermath. But researchers also found a number of other chemicals in places where officials were not necessarily testing. A  group is trying to convince the neighbors to tackle yardwork more naturally. Also, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant owner says it should be technically easy to restart after five years because all essential equipment is in good condition. Former coal communities ask the Biden and Trump campaigns for more investment. Vice President Kamala Harris would continue to develop offshore wind energy, but former President Trump wants to reverse course.

After a coal-fired power plant closed last year, residents of the southwestern Pennsylvania community are trying to make a go of tourism by cleaning up its legacy pollution. A new environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. New color-correcting viewfinders in some state parks will allow people who are colorblind to enjoy the autumn leaf show. Also, new federal funds will help remove lead paint in buildings across Pennsylvania. A nonprofit is launching a pilot project in Pennsylvania to lease rooftop solar installations to low- and moderate-income residents. Pittsburgh is one of 10 U.S. cities being awarded federal funding to support urban agriculture.

Former President Trump has been claiming there is a Biden electric vehicle mandate. There isn’t one, but the rhetoric has some EV advocates concerned.  A new study shows support for leasing land for solar projects in Pennsylvania farming communities. Volunteers are knocking on doors to get people who care about the environment and climate change to vote. Also, lead drinking water pipes in the U.S. must be removed within 10 years. A new survey looks at Pennsylvanians' attitudes toward fracking. A Weirton plant that makes batteries to store wind and solar energy gets a $150 million grant from the Department of Energy.