Environment & Science

After Lafayette College cleared more than 40 trees for a $1.2 million walkway without city approval, no trees will be replanted on the hillside where they were removed, the city forester said. Instead, several dozen trees were planted across campus and in Easton.

An agreement between Bethlehem Landfill and the people suing them, reached Tuesday, limits the landfill’s work to expand while a series of lawsuits aimed at stopping the expansion go forward.

"This is something in winter a few months from now … this is a Miller B system [or nor’easter]. The difference is, temperatures are too warm for snow," EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said.

Brad Klein reviews the week's astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy."

Have you been following the news in the Lehigh Valley this week? Find out how many of these questions about happenings and news around the Lehigh Valley you can answer correctly.

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.

Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, was one of three speakers in a Friday morning webinar focused on local climate action planning.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with reporter Phil Gianficaro.

Bethlehem is earmarked to get a $500,000 infusion from the state to close the gap in the South Bethlehem Greenway. It's one of eight projects in the Lehigh Valley being funded.

Former space shuttle astronaut Terry Hart, of Lower Saucon Township, believes the psychological impact of spending more than a year in space on a mission to Mars is impossible to predict.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week Megan talks to environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.

Allentown has secured a $100,000 grant to continue participating in the Youth Climate Action Fund for 2025, supporting youth-led projects focused on climate change awareness, mitigation, and sustainability, while aligning with the city’s upcoming Climate Action Plan.

The National Weather Service issued the bulletin in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday for freezing rain, with total ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch possible.

Projects in Wilson and Easton will receive $225,000 in funding to support trails, parks, recreation and watershed initiatives.

Food & Water Watch on Tuesday held a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s city office in defense of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. A Republican congressman earlier this month introduced a joint resolution to repeal it.

Applications are open for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Funding supports projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats.

A farm in Lehigh County has tested positive for HPIA, according to a news release Monday from the state Department of Agriculture. A response team is in place and the farm has been quarantined, officials said.

This week, WLVR's Brad Klein explore The Pleiades, a prominent winter asterism, or group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky.

State officials announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.

A cold snap that sent temperatures near historic lows brought record winter demand for electricity across numerous regional grids and service territories, including the Lehigh Valley.

Emmaus is one step closer to remediating two of its PFAS-contaminated wells. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because they are slow to breakdown in the environment and are linked to a variety of health issues.