The Allegheny Front
3rd Sunday of every month, 4pm - 5pm
The Allegheny Front podcast from 90.5 WESA brings you all the environmental news and stories to keep you in the know in Pennsylvania.
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: At family-friendly event in the Laurel Highlands climate change communication tools were used to engage the public about the issue and what they can do. The Pennsylvania state House has approved two bills to regulate data center development. An energy company is seeking the right of eminent domain to build a high-voltage power line in southwestern Pennsylvania to feed data centers in Virginia. The updated map that milions of gardeners rely on reflects climate changes. We take a field trip in Centre County to find out what goes on after dark in vernal pools, and why they matter. Pennsylvania added its 125th state park, and it is underground. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: An environmental engineer is starting a new act as a storyteller and educator for local waterways. A state legislator in Ohio wants to bring back the state's elk. We take a peak into the springtime mating dance of the elusive American woodcock. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection held a public hearing to gather comments about a new permit for the Shell plastic production facility in Beaver County. A new report card gives Pennsylvania an F grade for how it governs rooftop solar permitting. Pennsylvania state lawmakers have introduced a flurry of legislation to address data center growth. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: The fast pace of data center development has caught many communities off guard. Environmental organizers are trying to help them find their voices. A study released in February finds that energy generated in Pennsylvania will be used for data centers out of state. US Steel's new owner scored near the bottom in a climate ranking for steel companies. A new study tries to take smoking out of the equation for lung cancer risk. The results were surprising for areas with poor air quality. Allergy season is starting earlier because of climate change. We also talk with the author of a bird guide that's for enthusiasts and beginners alike. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: Pennsylvania regulators are deciding whether to give Shell's ethane cracker a new air pollution permit. Some residents say the plant is making the air there worse. An environmental group wants a moratorium on data center development in the state until stricter laws can be passed. A recently proposed settlement in a central Pennsylvania electric utility rate case aims to protect average residential customers from rising rates connected to new data centers. A Lackawanna County commissioner wants to protect residents' air quality from data centers that often use diesel-powered backup generators. A look at Pittsburgh's deer managementt program, three years in. Why turkey vultures are environmental heroes. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: According to a new study by state regulators water that runs off of landfills which take fracking waste doesn't pose a threat to the public. Severe storms or drought caused by climate change affect not only farmers but many others in the local food system, like rstaurants. Rock hunting gives a woman in addiction recovery a new way to see the world. The Allegheny County board of health is looking at how it can reduce the impacts of fracking. A group of Pittsburgh high school students is raising money to plug abandoned oil and gas wells. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: A new initiative called Prepare PA is gearing up to help Pennsylvanians face the big challenges of the climate crisis, like more extreme weather and flooding. And 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Women farmers in Pennsylvania talk about the growing diversity in agriculture. A sustainable farming group had a $59 million federal contract reinstated after the federal government tried to claw it back last year. A state House committee is advancing measures meant to protect Pennsylvanians from negative effects of new data centers. The Allegheny Land Trust has partnered with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a Pittsburgh-based natural gas company to purchase local forest carbon credits. Pennsylvania agencies will collaborate on recommendations for wildlife corridors. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: Young people in Pittsburgh are practicing climate action close to home. An oil and gas company let over a million gallons of drilling fluid escape underground into an abandoned mine during pipeline construction in Washington County. Pennsylvania agencies are teaming up with a nonprofit to study ways to modernize the electric grid. An invasive species came to North America just when the United States was forming. Why Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with the Hessian fly. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: Safe drinking water is not a reality for many Americans. Residents of an Ohio town say their water tastes and smells bad, and leaves an oily sheen. But regulators say it's safe. Monarch butterflies and other species are waiting for official listing as the Fish and Wildlife Service makes changes to the Endangered Species Act. In towns where residents oppose building big data centers, zoning has become a way to control the narrative. The Trump administration announced it would rollback a Biden-era rule on power plant emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin that impairs cognitive development in young children. During the State of the Union address President Donald Trump said he worked out a deal with energy-hungry data centers to build their own power plants. State officials are looking to curb Pennsylvania's ongoing outbreak of bird flu. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: How last year's fatal blast at the Clairton Coke Works has impacted the community there. A new study shows how many deaths can be attributed to air pollution in the Pittsburgh region. Opposition to data centers is growing as dozens of the facilities are proposed for the region and they could impact the water supply. State agriculture officials are trying to stem a spike in avian flu cases among Pennsylvania poultry flocks. Ski ballet is no longer an Olympic sport, but it's an art still being practiced on the slopes. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!
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Sign up for our newsletter! On this week's episode: How the Trump adminstration's move to rescind the the scientific basis for regulating greenhouse gases could impact states' climate initiatives. High levels of PFAS, known as forever chemicals, are being released into streams surrounding the Pittsburgh Internatiuonal Airport. The Conestoga in Lancaster County is Pennsylvania's River of the Year. The environmental watchdog group Three Rivers Waterkeeper intends to sue U.S. Steel over an oily sheen on the Monongahela River. State lawmakers are hoping to strengthen energy efficiency standards for appliances at the same time federal lawmakers are trying to weaken them. A group of Blair County volunteers is asking for help to restore a nearby abandoned town. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission wants people to stay off icy rivers, streams and creeks. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. Donate today. Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203. And thanks!