Regulations subvert ‘environmental justice’

September 21, 2024

Thirty years ago, more than 800 waste coal piles marred the Pennsylvania landscape, poisoning streams and emitting gaseous odors, including the rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulfide. Then, as part of a statewide cleanup, power plants capable of burning low-quality coal began turning the waste into electricity. Indeed, some waste piles still smolder from spontaneous combustion, polluting air long after mining ceased. However, waste coal plants have reclaimed more than 7,200 acres and 1,200 miles of streams. Once barren landscapes and contaminated streams teem with wildlife because of ...

Powering Pennsylvania’s future

September 19, 2024

Pennsylvania is a global energy leader, producing more energy than ever before. And this is good news, considering the expected surge in demand for power. After a decade of relatively flat electricity demand, America could see an acceleration in load growth with new data centers, manufacturing facilities and electrification efforts. Look no further than the northeast region of Pennsylvania, where Amazon is planning to develop 15 data centers as part of a large-scale project. Multi-million-dollar projects like these not only bring a big economic boost but also require a significant ...

End of US democracy a threat to Earth?

September 18, 2024

If Donald Trump is elected President this November, many fear he will establish one man rule and will bring an end to our Constitutional Republic with its separation of powers, checks and balances, and all our cherished democratic freedoms. I am among those who share this fear. When we vote on November 5, I think we risk it all: freedom of expression and freedom of the press (“the media, the enemy of the people”), freedom of religion (“integration of Christian values into public policy”---Christian nationalism), freedom of assembly (military intervention at protests), freedom ...

The people vs. the United States

September 17, 2024

Trump vs. United States, ___ U. S. ___, 144 S. Ct. 2312, 219 L. Ed. 2d 991, 2024 U.S. LEXIS 2886 (July 1, 2024), is decried by some as inviting the President of the United States to be a dictator and by others as a decision which will tie the hands of the activist presidents we demand in the United States. There are even those who claim that the author of the Opinion, Chief Justice Roberts, is a “Trump appointee,” insinuating that the Chief Justice is biased. Chief Justice Roberts has served since 2005, however, and was nominated by President George W. Bush. In the first ...

What really happened in Erie

September 14, 2024

ERIE, Pennsylvania -- The chaser on Sen. JD Vance’s (R-Ohio) trip to this all-important county in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania came when the Republican vice presidential nominee said Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris can “go to hell” for her handling of the 2021 attack at Abbey Gate in the final days of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Harris, for her part, has claimed that she was the last person in the room when Biden made the decision that led to the death of 13 American soldiers. It was a decision that Harris pointedly said she was ...

Stream cleaning could be key to flood prevention

September 13, 2024

Last month, nearly every county in my district was impacted by severe flooding from Tropical Storm Debby. Towns were evacuated and residents had to be rescued as flood waters engulfed homes, farms and roads. In the days following, teams of volunteers surveyed the damage and disaster relief organizations mobilized to help. Community members came out in droves to donate food, water and cleaning supplies. The resilience and determination of the people there is truly inspiring and in the face of overwhelming destruction, our first responders showed extraordinary courage and dedication. As ...