Gov. Josh Shapiro this week announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was seeking final court approval of a consent decree that will allow two generating stations in the Commonwealth to reopen and operate through 2032.   The Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations are both coal-fired power plants having the same operator. Keystone is in Armstrong County and Conemaugh is in Indiana County. Both plants had been slated to close at the end of

Several months ago, we blogged about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to redesignate Allegheny County from nonattainment of the 2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter to attainment. We have an update: In the April 16 edition of the Federal Register, EPA published a Final Rule that does, in fact, redesignate Allegheny County to attainment of the 2012 NAAQS for PM2.5. To put it another way: It’s official, official now.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with local families and environmental advocates, the   Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP)  on Monday attended a public hearing to challenge the installation permit for the EQT Leto Well Pad and Dehydrator in West Deer Township. GASP joined our partners at   Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD) , a dedicated group of neighbors who have spent years fighting to protect their community from heavy industrial shale gas operations in residentia

An enforcement action by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) serves as a stark reminder that public health regulations aren't optional—even for state agencies. Here’s what happened: During a routine inspection in April 2025, ACHD representatives visited the I-376 Bridge over Boyce Road and determined that while the site already held a permit for sandblasting structural steel, crews were also performing unpermitted abrasive blasting on rusted rebar for concrete repai

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has issued a $7,140 civil penalty against NCP Carbon for repeated air quality violations and failure to report equipment breakdowns in 2025. Located in Jefferson Hills, the facility specializes in carbon products, including carbon raiser, injection carbon, and metallurgic coke. According to a March 9 ACHD enforcement order, between June and October 2025, department representatives documented several instances of excess emissions o

The Avonworth School District and one of its contractors are facing a $5,850 fine for asbestos abatement-related violations stemming from a 2025 roof replacement project at the high school.   According to a March 9, 2026, enforcement order issued by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and obtained by GASP through a public records request, the district and Triangle Roofing Corp. failed to provide the required asbestos survey prior to renovations at Avonworth High Sch