The Allegheny Front

The Allegheny Front is a celebrated public radio show that focuses on environmental topics in Western Pennsylvania. It is broadcasted on WESA in Pittsburgh and various other stations across the area. Launched in 1991 on WYEP 91.3 FM, The Allegheny Front emerged as Pittsburgh was developing a heightened awareness of urban environmental issues. The program was initially created by volunteer Lucy Laffitte, who named it after the prominent escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains located to the east of Pittsburgh. It offers listeners updates on environmental news, highlights local events, and features interviews with individuals engaged in the regional environmental movement.

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English

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Explosion, smoke reported at Shell plant in Beaver County

2 days ago | alleghenyfront.org | Reid Frazier

An explosion was reported at Shell’s ethane cracker in Beaver County Wednesday afternoon. A company spokeswoman stated that smoke was seen coming off of a furnace unit at the plant around 2:20 p.m. She said the incident was managed by site personnel, and the smoke dissipated. The company dispatched a team from an air monitoring company to the site, and state and local agencies have been notified.
Pa. solar installers say GOP's U.S. House tax bill is a 'disaster'

3 days ago | alleghenyfront.org | Susan Phillips

Thousands of Pa. jobs at stake if solar tax credits disappearThe GOP’s House budget bill would effectively end a surge in Biden-era solar energy projects that proponents say created jobs, boosted manufacturing and tackled climate change. Without the credits, the industry says utility bills will rise, along with job cuts.
River otters in Western Pennsylvania: An environmental success story

1 week ago | alleghenyfront.org | Julie Grant

This story is part of our series, Wild Pennsylvania. Check out all of our stories here. North American river otters, known as cute and playful swimmers, once lived in every major river system in Pennsylvania. But because of development, agriculture and industrialization, otters had largely disappeared from the state by the early 1900s. The success of their reintroduction in recent decades is considered an indicator of improved water quality.
The Allegheny Front wins Edward R. Murrow Award, Golden Quills

1 week ago | alleghenyfront.org | Kathy Knauer

The Allegheny Front has been recognized for excellence in journalism with several regional awards this week. Our series from January 2024, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the East Palestine train derailment, was recognized with a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Series.
Musician helps farmers open up with 'Empty Barn' song

1 week ago | alleghenyfront.org | Kara Holsopple

Farmers are 3.5 more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association. That’s why today is Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day. A former farmer is using his life experience and music to raise awareness about mental health in the agricultural community. Jeff Corle grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset County. He said it’s a lifestyle. But a few years ago, he had to sell the business, and it was devastating.
With soaring summer temps ahead, AI data centers could strain electricity supplies in the Mid-Atlantic

2 weeks ago | alleghenyfront.org | Susan Phillips

Forecasts for scorching temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic this summer could result in a higher-than-usual demand for electricity — at a time when federal regulators are warning that the margins between supply and demand are shrinking.
Grandma Gatewood's epic Appalachian Trail hike

2 weeks ago | alleghenyfront.org | Jennifer Jordan

This story was originally published on November 26, 2014. One day, a 67-year-old great-grandmother told her family she was going for a walk. What Emma Gatewood meant was that she was leaving for a 2,000-plus-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). This was in 1955. Journalist and author Ben Montgomery tells the story in his book: “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.“ Gatewood was the first woman to solo thru-hike the AT.
Essay: A 70-mile hike provides a refuge from a stressful year

2 weeks ago | alleghenyfront.org | Reid Frazier

This essay was originally published on November 25, 2020. Back in 2020, it was a stressful year, with a pandemic that has killed more than 250,000 Americans and an election that polarized the nation. Millions of people are out of work. Many schools are virtual. Our own Reid Frazier has been looking for ways to stay calm, so he took to the trail to practice a little self-care.
Cicadas are back. Brood XIV expected to emerge in parts of Pennsylvania

2 weeks ago | alleghenyfront.org | Anne Danahy

This story comes from our partners at WPSU. This story is part of our series, Wild Pennsylvania. Check out all of our stories here. They’re back! The cicadas, that is. In particular Brood XIV. After 17 years underground, the large, clumsy insects have started emerging to breed in parts of the United States, including Pennsylvania.
A former gravel mine in Erie County gets a second chance as forestland

2 weeks ago | alleghenyfront.org | Kara Holsopple

This story is part of our series, Wild Pennsylvania. Check out all of our stories here. Lake Pleasant in northwestern Pennsylvania was created over 15,000 years ago when a glacier retreated. Since the 1990s, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has been buying and conserving land around the lake, which supports rare plants and birds like herons and osprey. The lake is part of the headwaters of French Creek, an important habitat for freshwater mussels, including some endangered species.