Environment & Science

It’s going to cost an estimated $100 million over the next decade to replace pipes made of lead, galvanized steel and unknown materials throughout the Lehigh County Authority’s service area.

Rodale Institute on Veterans Day celebrated $500,000 in state funding awarded for its Veteran Farmer Training program. The program draws trainees from across the U.S.

That endowment will help improve parks across the city by providing long-term funding for the Parknership’s work.

Inversion is a natural phenomenon that causes bottom water to flow up to the top surface and surface water to drop to the bottom. It's causing some households' drinking water to smell and taste different.

Participants in this year's D&L RaceFest, the largest yet, took to Lehigh Valley streets and trails Sunday. The day's top prizes both went to Easton residents.

The Lehigh Valley is parched, again. Here's what the region needs to get out of the drought that has led to burn bans and voluntary water conservation measures.

The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, erupted Saturday in Lehigh Township. It's now 100% contained, officials said.

The red flag warning is in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. It's the second red flag warning issued so far this month.

The fire erupted Saturday in Lehigh Township. Over the following days, the fire grew from 150 acres to almost 600 near the border of Northampton and Carbon counties.

Daniel Klem Jr., director of the Acopian Center for Ornithology at the college, on Saturday was presented with the Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award. His most recent study found 3.5 million birds dying every day in a 365-day period.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week, they look ahead to the Autumnal Equinox.

SpaceX’s capsule Polaris Dawn splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in the predawn darkness early Sunday. Returning to Earth were two SpaceX engineers, a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman of the Lehigh Valley. Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk.

A Lehigh University graduate last year recorded a new species of mushroom at Wildlands Conservancy's South Mountain Preserve.

Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.

Called the Recovery in Nature initiative, two state departments have joined forces to create regional-specific partnerships to bolster substance use recovery efforts while strengthening all residents’ connection to nature.

While Tropical Storm Francine and its remnants will not be moving this way, it will play a role in the Lehigh Valley’s weather pattern for the next few days.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report of the most challenging places to live with asthma. The release coincides with peak asthma season in September.

Early Tuesday, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has a home in the Lehigh Valley, launched into space for a second time as part of a mission dubbed Polaris Dawn. The launch was visible in the area.

Awardees of the state Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program were announced Monday. It focuses on eliminating lead, mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards from school buildings.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week should be a good one for viewing the planet Saturn.

Easton's Nurture Nature Center has been recommended for conditional approval for its proposed planetarium, or "immersive dome," intended to expand programming capabilities.

Among the winners are projects to repaint the basketball court at Building 21; build several community gardens; and plant trees.