Advertise on podcast: The Allegheny Front

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: Pittsburgh high school students raise money to get an abandoned gas well plugged. A retiree has also made it her mission to help fix the problem by finding the wells that others haven't documented yet. Noise pollution from data centers is impacting the health of neighbors. A Philly company is developing equipment it hopes will support the future of the hydroelectric power industry. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: There is a steep rise in black lung disease cases among coal miners in Appalachia. Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity discussed data centers and other hot-button issues facing Pennsylvanians at the first and only 2026 gubernatorial debate. Shapiro joined 21 states suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its recent repeal of limits on climate-warming pollution from power plants. Light pollution is ruining our ancient connection to the night sky. Owls are not just for Halloween. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: The Trump administration announced new rules weakening fuel efficiency standards. Appalachian farmers are producing wool that could replace less environmentally friendly insulation in homes. Heavy rain is causing stress on native paw paw trees, attracting invasive ambrosia beetles. Environmental advocates are calling for Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass new efficiency standards for certain appliances. People in Southwestern Pennsylvania can get a discount on solar energy systems through a group buying program. Rufous hummingbirds show up in late autumn and early winter in our region.  Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: At a conference promoting AI in Pittsburgh, Governor Shapiro said that while he still sees promise in AI technology we cannot ignore the warning signs nor downplay the risks of the industry. Meanwhile, there is a movement in communities across Pennsylvania to slow down the data center development that powers AI, including a town in Westmoreland County where the community os already dealing with fracking. Pennsylvania utility regulators say unchecked data center growth could threaten the reliability of the regional grid within the next five years. The threshold has been raised for the amount of lead in a school 's water that Pennsylvania districts have to report. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: Documentaries that are part of a film festival about Appalachia and the Rust Belt look at East Palestine after the derailment and the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In her new book, an author writes a love letter to her western Pennsylvania farm. Spetember is when birders flock to see chimney swifts roost. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found inadequate safety and training protocols led to a 2025 explosion and fire at Shell's Beaver County plastics plant. The Environmental Protection Agency has eliminated rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that burn fossil fuels. Governor Shapiro says President Donald Trump must act to more closely regulate artificial intelligence. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: The U.S. Forest Service wants to repeal a rule that prohibits new roads and logging in some sections of National Forest land. A grove of trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial serves as a living monument to the passengers and crew who died there on 9-11. A group of friends hiked and looked for reassurance in nature and one another on September 12th, 2001. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has fined Shell $15 million for air quality violations at its Beaver County plastics plant. Pittsburgh International Airport's new terminal now has an official designation as a green building. Our Environmental Travel Guide through Pennsylvania continues with one of western Pennsylvania's most scenic forests.   Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: A morel mushroom hunter is willing to share his expertise but not his best morel hotspots, which are a family secret that's been passed down for generations. There's an underground network between fungi and roots that allows trees to communicate in forests. Our environmental guide through Pennsylvania continues, and this time we're chasing waterfalls. There are now over 30 routes and 2,000 miles for gravel cyclists to ride in northeastern Pennsylvania.   Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

This is your last chance to help us raise $35,000 by August 31 to keep this podcast going! We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: A team of archaeologists is looking for signs of early life in the Americas at the bottom of Lake Erie. A Pennsylvania environmental group is out with a new playbook to move the state away from fossil fuels. The landmark environmental rights amendment in Pennsylvania's constitution was created by a man who grew up in coal country. An artist is donating the proceeds from a series of drawings to a central Pennsylvania watershed group. The pigment used in the artworks comes from acid mine drainage pollution in Appalachian waterways. Allegheny County Council will consider a ban on building controversial AI data centers on county property.  Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

Help us raise $35,000 by August 31 to keep this podcast going! We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: Sludge from municipal sewage is often spread on farm fields as fertilizer. But it can contain PFAS forever chemicals. Regulators want to limit the amount of these chemicals, but monitoring could be expensive. Data centers have become a hot button issue across Pennsylvania, including in a small town where six projects have been proposed. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signs an executive order placing restrictions on data center development. A new survey shows fears of the impact of artificial intelligence and opposition to data center construction are bipartisan issues. State regulators have agreed to review the environmental impact of a coal mine in western Pennsylvania. A dragonboat team from Philly is headed to Taiwan for a global competition.   Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

Help us raise $35,000 by August 31 to keep this podcast going! We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: A federal agency faulted U.S. Steel for a lack of safety procedures which caused the death of two workers at one if its plants last year. A new report from Pennsylvania environmental groups finds more than half of monitored waterways statewide had at least one day with high levels of e-coli bacteria last year. We take a look at pollution from a chemical plant along the banks of the Monongahela River. An environmental engineer started a new act as a storyteller and educator for local waterways. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has unanimously ruled wildlife officers cannot enter open fields and woods without a warrant. With soaring energy demand and a friendly federal administration, coal companies are angling for a comeback. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

Help us raise $35,000 by August 31 to keep this podcast going: We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.  On this week's show: We speak with the author of a collection of stories that has a furry recurring theme: bears. A reporter tags along into the woods with some birders to talk to barred owls. An environmental group is claiming the latest Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection publication about underground mining damages to properties and the environment has major issues. Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter!

Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter! Conservationists are trying to stop the spread of the invasive wavyleaf basketgrass in Pennsylvania's forests. A new exhibit of landscape paintings in Pittsburgh encourages rest and reflection. Concrete made with plants, like flax, has climate benefits. Several environmental groups in Pennsylvania are casting doubt on a report about landfill runoff released by the state regulators. Three Mile Island is on schedule to receive nuclear material by the end of the year. A grandson and grandmother visit all 63 national parks together. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.

Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter! U.S. Steel is investing big money to modernize a mill in the Pittsburgh area. Some are worried about continued air pollution from the plant, while others in the area are excited about its economic impact. The data power of AI could help weather forecasters with some of their trickiest work, like tornadoes. A new book looks at the complexities of reintroducing large wildlife species like wolves and bison back to their original habitats. Pennsylvania has renewed its Solar for Schools program for a third time. Nonprofit environmental groups are seeking crowdfunding support for their legal challenge to a massive data center project in Indiana County. Our travel guide provides a glimpse of a rare bog habitat in the Laurel Highlands. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.

Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter! There's a movement to slow down data center development in Pennsylvania, but state lawmakers weren't ready to repeal a key tax exemption. People who live near a gas processing facility in rural Pennsylvania are against its plans to expand. Operations have been stopped at four injection wells for fracking wastewater in southeastern Ohio, at the request of state regulators. Forests in Allegheny and Fayette Counties are also now part of the Old-Growth Forest Network. A new book explores the beauty of Pennsylvania's natural wonders. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.

Never miss a story: Sign up for our newsletter! How a Bedford County community benefitted when two dams were removed. A court rules in favor of a stricter ambient air pollution standard to protect public health. Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity was in Western Pennsylvania to discuss data centers and criticize Governor Josh Shapiro. An artist provides tips for finding colorful beach glass on your next trip to Lake Erie. Pennsylvania's elk country is featured on the season premiere of  Discovery Channel show "RV There Yet?." A week-long camp provides community, support and fun for young campers with brain injuries. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't receive funds 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.