Environment & Science

The Allentown Environmental Advisory Council is examining three of the city's largest buildings to identify potential opportunities to boost efficiency and cut costs.

Lehigh Valley residents eager to begin their spring gardening are looking toward the last frost and freeze dates for the area — but they'll have to be patient.

Ruth Santiago, an attorney and environmental activist in Puerto Rico, is returning to the Lehigh Valley this month to speak to students and residents about alternative electrical systems and environmental equity amid climate change.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The commonwealth is getting $265.9 million in federal funding to upgrade its aging water infrastructure. The state has the fourth most lead pipes in the nation, according to a recent EPA survey.

The spring migration count at Hawk Mountain has begun. So far this season, 137 birds of prey have been recorded.

Allentown’s Cedar Creek Park was covered Thursday in lesser celandine, a low-growing, mat-forming flower that’s been flagged by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

It’s not unprecedented, but it is a little bit too early for the kind of warmth the Lehigh Valley will see next week, said meteorologist Bobby Martrich.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released the results of the agency's "7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment." Pennsylvania ranked only behind Florida, Illinois and Ohio for the most lead service lines.

Firefighters battled a massive fire at a warehouse in West Easton early Tuesday, with multiple explosions heard from the property. The fire was declared under control after more than five hours.

The storms on Thursday took out power across PPL's entire service area, spanning central and eastern Pennsylvania.

As the Lehigh Valley and beyond face extreme weather, officials shared weatherization techniques and options to make homes more energy efficient through federal funding.

A colony with tens of thousands of honeybees was removed Wednesday from beneath the roof of the government building. The honeybee population is shrinking. James Zdepski is looking to change that.

The dry, scorching start to September will slowly begin to ease on Thursday as severe weather takes aim at the Lehigh Valley.

Relief from the brutal heat and humidity has been pushed to later in the week, forecasters say. Wednesday's temperatures will climb into the 90s with heat indexes inching past 100 degrees.

A Red Cross volunteer from the greater Lehigh Valley just got back from assisting displaced people in Hawaii following devastating wildfires there. Her job was to try and reconnect families.

Olivia Teel became the city’s forester in June. A native of the Lehigh Valley, who also studied environmental science at a local university, Teel’s devotion to the environment extends past working hours.

The Lehigh Valley's public pools will all be closed come Labor Day, rounding out a rather unusual August. But with blazing temperatures coming up at the beginning of September, it's vital to keep an eye out for heat exhaustion.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

During National Preparedness Month, those with the American Red Cross are helping people stay ready for anything. They say they are responding to twice as many disasters than they were 10 years ago.

WLVR's Ryan Gaylor talks with reporters Molly Bilinski and Olivia Marble.

Sunny days and warm temperatures are ahead in the Lehigh Valley forecast. Outdoor plans for the Labor Day weekend should go off without a hitch.