skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Environmental Orgs Appeal Permit for Gas-Fired Power Plant in Southwest PA

play audio
Play

Wednesday, November 10, 2021   

ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Several environmental organizations are appealing a decision made last month by Allegheny County to approve an air permit for a large gas-fired power plant which could pose environmental and public health risks.

Invenergy's proposed Allegheny Energy Center would be a 639-megawatt plant located in Elizabeth Township, south of Pittsburgh.

A coalition of four environmental groups said under the permit, Invenergy would be able to turn the plant on and off frequently, which could lead to unlawful spikes in air pollution.

Alex Bomstein, senior litigation attorney for the Clean Air Council, a member of the coalition, said the regional pollution caused by this type of facility would exacerbate asthma and cause heart health problems over time.

"Southwestern Pennsylvania has some of the worst air in the country," Bomstein asserted. "We're all trying to fix that. And this takes us exactly in the wrong direction. And those types of pollutants, they generally stress a person's system, and people who are already vulnerable, are put in a lot worse of a situation."

The Environmental Integrity Project, representing Clean Air Council, PennFuture, and Mountain Watershed Association, filed an appeal to the Allegheny County Health Department last week. A health department spokesperson declined to comment due to ongoing legal matters.

The proposed plant is next to two communities in neighboring Westmoreland County with environmental justice concerns: low-income communities that often bear the brunt of pollution.

A virtual public hearing in June drew more than 200 people, many of whom were worried about its potential public health impacts.

Lisa Graves-Marcucci, Pennsylvania coordinator for community outreach at the Environmental Integrity Project, said a new gas-fired power plant puts Pennsylvania in misalignment with world climate action goals.

"Is this type of energy really what we need, or can we create those good-paying, family-supporting wages by doing renewable energy sources?" Graves-Marcucci questioned. "It's just puzzling to us as to why the county and the state would rally behind this type of operation."

Coalition members added they hope to see the air permit rescinded entirely.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021