Kulp Dairy Farm received a key permit four months ahead of schedule for their expansion project thanks to the Shapiro Administration’s work to cut red […]
Developed by the Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, Aging, and Health, the toolkit gives caregivers, long-term care facilities, and community organizations practical strategies — […]
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By: Danielle Smith
People working for environmental justice are rallying today at the downtown Pittsburgh headquarters of U.S. Steel, voicing their concerns to company shareholders about creating a healthier future in the Monongahela Valley region.
Japan’s Nippon Steel is buying U.S. Steel for more than $14 billion.
Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby, an environmental-justice organizer with the group 412Justice, said the asthma rate in the Mon Valley is four to five times higher than the national average. She pointed out they’re being left out of important conversations about the sale and are urging better health protections.
“We are actually gathering to demand a seat at the table,” she said. “We — the communities which have been impacted by the pollutants for decades — have not had a seat at the table. Our voice needs to be heard.”
U.S. Steel has had a presence in the Mon Valley since 1901 and currently employs more than 3,000 workers. Nesby said the sale isn’t supposed to affect local employment, as U.S. Steel has said it will keep the contract as it currently exists.
U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works, which includes the Clairton Coke Works, is the biggest coke plant in the country.
NaTisha Washington, communications manager for the Breathe Project, said the plants have a long history of breaking air-quality rules and facing complaints. She added that the plants keep getting fined for exceeding pollution limits – and even have trouble getting new permits.
“There is no transparency with the communities about these air quality days being bad,” she said. “No protections, no resources like air filters, or anything that’s supporting residents that are affected by these bad-air days.”
Washington added that money is being put into a clean-air fund and a Community Benefit Trust. But there has been no visible improvement to community health so far. She noted many Mon Valley residents are feeling the impacts of either poor air or water quality.
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By: Danielle Smith
A proposed pumped-storage hydroelectric facility for Cuffs Run near the Susquehanna River in York County has been challenged by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The foundation filed a motion to intervene in the proceedings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is considering granting a preliminary permit to build a 1.8-mile-long dam for the project.
Harry Campbell, science policy and advocacy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said they are working to stop the project in order to protect the unique Cuffs Run area and its ecological benefits for future generations.
“If approved, this project would destroy it about 580 acres of prime farmland, fields and forests, some of which have not been disturbed in about 100 years,” Campbell pointed out. “Those farms, fields and forests exist harmoniously with and in support of a plethora of plant and animal life.”
The foundation is circulating an online petition and encouraged Pennsylvanians to provide comments before Sunday.
The stream is home to naturally reproducing brook trout. Advocates worry the $2.5 billion project would also be harmful to the Susquehanna River. Campbell noted about 40 families would be displaced.
“For those who call Cuffs Run home, it’s more than just a place to live. It’s their heritage and they want it to be part of their legacy,” Campbell asserted. “This project just simply is the wrong idea in the wrong place. In order to honor that heritage and that legacy, we need to preserve this area.”
Campbell emphasized the Cuffs Run project is about 993 acres of land draining into a 2.5-mile unnamed tributary. He added in terms of stream habitat, the rocks, pebbles and woody material have been identified as among the best in the region for supporting critters living in the water.
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By: Danielle Smith
The Environmental Protection Agency has set new air pollution standards under the federal Clean Air Act for cars and light/medium vehicle models from 2027 through 2032 and beyond.
Pennsylvania ranks 43rd among states for average exposure of the public to airborne soot of 2.5 microns or less, according to America’s Health Rankings.
And the Pittsburgh and Weirton area is on the American Lung Association’s list of cities with the most year-round particle pollution.
Cara Cook, director of programs at the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, said nurses are seeing firsthand the effects of tailpipe pollution on community health, as more people end up in hospitals and doctor’s offices suffering from asthma and other diseases linked to breathing in dangerous air pollutants found in soot and smog.
“Research shows that traffic pollution is linked to premature death, lung cancer and asthma,” Cook pointed out. “What we’re seeing among nurses is that they’re increasingly concerned about the transportation sector as a leading source of pollution.”
According to the EPA, the new air-quality standards will prevent more than 7 billion tons of carbon from being emitted and save the country $13 billion in health care costs related to improved air quality. Experts said they expect the rule to be challenged in court by the fossil fuel industry.
Chris Harto, senior policy analyst for Consumer Reports, said the move is a historic step toward cleaning up the transportation sector, bringing the nation closer to the Biden administration’s goal of a 60% reduction in emissions from new vehicles by 2030 and increasing quality of life for people living in areas with high levels of vehicle traffic.
“They will deliver over $1 trillion in consumer savings, eliminate billions of tons of climate pollution and save thousands of lives,” Harto asserted.
The Biden administration said once fully implemented, the new standards will save the average driver an estimated $6,000 in reduced fuel and maintenance over the life of a vehicle.
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By: Danielle Smith
Pennsylvania’s wild trout streams are getting some much-needed attention and outdoor enthusiasts across the state can voice their views on safeguarding fisheries.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has collected data on 24 proposed Wild Trout Streams, recommending they receive official designation to preserve their “exceptional” trout habitats.
Nate Walters, coldwater unit leader for the commission, said protecting streams supports healthy, self-sustaining wild trout populations, which in turn is vital for water quality.
“It’s important to protect them from any kind of human impacts that can further degrade these streams,” Walters asserted. “Again, it’s important to protect these streams for the water quality and habitat protection standpoint, whether it’s for instream or the wetlands surrounding the streams.”
Walters pointed out all Pennsylvania residents can submit public comments about the Wild Trout Streams designations online. Pennsylvania has more than 80,000 miles of streams and rivers, most of which support fishing, kayaking and boating activities.
Alexandra Kozak, Pennsylvania field manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said officially adding streams to the state’s Wild Trout Stream roster will not only preserve world-class fishing opportunities but boost local economies and tourism.
“We have a $58 billion outdoor recreation economy,” Kozak explained. “Considering that roughly 40% of the streams across the state are not suitable for fishing, swimming or even drinking water, according to the DEP, it makes sense to safeguard these exceptional waterways that are already meeting top standards, that can continue to support our outdoor recreation and then continue to drive, you know, our economy.”
Kozak noted their 2020 survey showed 1.2 million Pennsylvanians fished local waterways. She added local businesses like fly shops, fishing guides and bait stores benefit from anglers visiting these areas.
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Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 budget puts forth a bold vision to create economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.
New Holland, PA – Today, at New Holland Agriculture’s Lancaster County campus, Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding highlighted key pieces of Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget, focused on creating economic opportunity for all in communities across the Commonwealth. Governor Shapiro and Secretary Redding took a hands-on tour of New Holland Agriculture’s Lancaster County campus, where innovative, high-tech machinery that is driving progress in agriculture and conservation is developed, manufactured, and sold.
Governor Shapiro understands that our economic success is dependent on our rural communities and our farmlands – and his 2024-25 budget proposal puts agriculture front and center in that conversation, investing $10.3 million in Agriculture and Conservation Innovation funds that will support innovative manufacturers and provide opportunities for farmers to be more efficient and productive, while enhancing the soil and water resources key to Pennsylvania’s future.
“For the first time ever, our economic development strategy isn’t limited in its focus to our high rises or our suburban office parks – we understand that our economic success is dependent on our rural communities and our farmlands. There’s real innovation happening all across our Commonwealth, especially on our farms. That’s why my budget places a special emphasis on agriculture, I want to help more farmers upgrade their equipment and take advantage of the latest technology through our Ag Innovation funding,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “High-tech innovations like New Holland Agriculture develops and produces depend on investment. New Holland Equipment may be part of our heritage – but it’s also a major employer today and a world-leader in driving the kind of innovation in ag that’s going to help Pennsylvania farmers for years to come. If we want to compete and succeed as a Commonwealth, then we have to invest in our farmers.”
New Holland Equipment – a brand of CNH Industrial – has a 341-acre campus in Lancaster County that includes a 150-acre test farm and a 700,000-square-foot equipment manufacturing plant. The campus provides 600 jobs, including a Pennsylvania-certified earn-while-you-learn Ag Equipment Service Technician Apprenticeship designed to fill a pipeline for skilled technicians who can service cutting-edge, computerized equipment.
“When Pennsylvania invests in agriculture, everybody wins. Our family farmers have innovated and fought to stay competitive in a tough marketplace, all the while being the original leaders in conserving our environment and our priceless soil and water resources,” said Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. “This budget demonstrates that the Shapiro Administration is in their corner, continuing to feed opportunities for agriculture to grow, and for Pennsylvania’s economy to grow along with it.”
Some of the innovative equipment developed and manufactured by New Holland runs on alternative energy sources and autonomous technology. The Pennsylvania-based business is helping make it possible for farmers to precisely target fertilizer and pesticide applications where problems exist, and deliver precision planting and harvesting to lower costs, increase productivity, and sustain their farms’ future.
“I know firsthand the economic impact of agriculture because my father worked over 30 years at New Holland Equipment creating multiple patents for them,” said Representative Mike Sturla. “To have such an innovative global company based in New Holland is a true asset to Pennsylvania. I commend Governor Shapiro on his comprehensive economic development strategy.”
“CNH Industrial has a long-standing foundation in Pennsylvania Agriculture since the New Holland brand was founded here in Lancaster County, more than 125 years ago,” said Richard Heisey, Vice President for Product Engineering at CNH Industrial. “A vital part of our longstanding success has been the close work we do with our customers to break new ground in innovation, sustainability, and productivity. As we look forward, we see the pace of this innovation only continuing to accelerate, so we welcome this commitment to the continued spirit of Pennsylvania as an innovator in developing new technologies that move and feed not only our state and country, but the world.”
The Innovation and Conservation Fund will magnify the impact of conservation investments in the PA Farm Bill, including the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program that helps farmers purchase conservation equipment, Conservation Excellence Grants, Farm Vitality Grants for planning, the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program and others.
The Governor’s Economic Development Strategy, the first in nearly 20 years, puts agriculture front and center in the conversation. The strategy recognizes that the 53,000 farms across the Commonwealth support over 600,000 jobs and contribute $132 billion to our state’s economy.
The agriculture sector is a critical economic driver – and to continue Pennsylvania’s national legacy as an agriculture leader, the 2024-25 budget proposes investing:
You can read Governor Shapiro’s full 2024-25 budget in brief here.
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Reading, PA — Today, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Reading to highlight grants available to plant trees in underserved cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
The grants add to a budget commitment to maintain and improve Pennsylvania’s natural places.
Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget proposal includes another strong investment in the stewardship of Pennsylvania’s natural resources, with new funding to build trails and expand the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps program.
“Planting trees helps the planet — and helps people. Trees keep neighborhoods cool during heat waves, prevent flooding during storms, and clean the air that kids breathe,” Secretary Dunn said during a visit to Schlegel Park. “These grants, funded with federal dollars, will deliver benefits to communities that have been overlooked and underserved, since they don’t require a match.”
The urban and community forestry grants will award up to $4 million for projects as a part of this year’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program.
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Pennsylvania is receiving $9.75 million from the U.S. Forest Service to support communities with equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide.
“We are proud to support DCNR and its mission of planting trees here in the city,” Reading Mayor Eddie Morán said. “Trees are a vital part of Reading streets, parks, and landscapes. A heartfelt thank you to DCNR for championing community health and wellness with us!”
DCNR staff are available to assist with answering questions, visiting potential project sites, and developing competitive grant applications.
To get started, contact the department’s urban and community forestry expertsOpens In A New Window at 717-787-2703.
“This direct support for the conservation efforts of local governments and nonprofit groups is needed and welcome in Berks County and throughout the Commonwealth,” state Senator Judy Schwank said. “By planting trees and creating green spaces, we not only enhance the beauty of our surroundings but also improve air quality, provide recreational opportunities and support biodiversity. The trees celebrated today help create a brighter, more sustainable future for all residents of Berks County and beyond!”
“We are excited to be here today to celebrate trees and to highlight grant opportunities that can help communities like ours,” state Representative Manuel Guzman said. “Expanding access to green spaces is more important than ever. Trees are essential to improve the quality of life. What we create and protect now will be crucial for the wellbeing of generations to come. Thank you to DCNR and Governor Josh Shapiro for supporting eco-healthy initiatives in Reading.”
DCNR grants have supported projects in Reading and Berks County including:
Grant applications must be submitted by 4:00 P.M. April 3 through DCNR’s Grants Customer Service Portal.
In 2021, DCNR added its first Tree Equity Specialist to apply the principles of equity and environmental justice in urban and community forestry work across the Commonwealth.
If underserved communities aren’t able to apply for grants, either due to lack of capacity or for not meeting the minimum $50,000 project size, the deparment is prepared to work with them to implement community forestry projects.
Trees and forests are critical in our efforts to address climate change, as they pull in and store carbon (a process that also helps with clean air). Other benefits are:
The Shapiro Administration has ambitious goals around trees and forests, including:
Dunn noted that interested Pennsylvanians can help support efforts to plant urban trees by donating to the Keystone Tree Fund voluntary $3 check-off box on driver’s license and vehicle registration online applications.
Find more information about trees in communities on the DCNR website.
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