Environment & Science

In the aftermath of the derailment, which released toxic chemicals into the streams and air around East Palestine, many are wondering how the country’s regulations around rail traffic could have allowed a train with 20 cars of hazardous material not to be considered a “high hazard.”

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sent a scathing letter to the president and CEO of Norfolk Southern on Tuesday, calling out the company for making emergency management decisions without consulting state and local leaders and for prioritizing its railroad operations over “a safer overall approach” for local residents and the environment, after a train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio last week.

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a host of changes to the state’s cannabis laws that would expand who is eligible for a medical marijuana card.

In a week where the nation will put football in the rearview mirror and welcome pitchers and catchers to spring training, the Lehigh Valley will enjoy some springlike weather.

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

A Northampton County Judge on Wednesday denied the request of Lower Saucon Township residents for a stay of a meeting on Feb. 27 relative to the proposed expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

"Turn around, don't drown", warned a spokesperson for PennDOT. More than once today, people in the Valley have had to be rescued from their cars after driving into water that shut their engines off, trapping the drivers.

Some parts of the Lehigh Valley saw more than four inches of rain from Sunday into Monday, with precipitation still falling.

Schools are closing early and a large swath of the region is under a flood warning until at least 3:15 p.m. as the storm system that inundated the area overnight moves north.

The winter, or December, solstice takes place this year between sundown on Dec. 21 and sunrise Dec. 22

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at 11 a.m. on Wednesday is holding a meeting at its Allentown office to brainstorm and prioritize ways to decarbonize transportation across the region. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.

Many spots could receive 2 to 3 inches of rain, forecasters warn, with areas of flooding possible Sunday night as another coastal storm targets the region.

Amid the joy and festivities, environmental advocates are urging residents to keep sustainability in mind during what can be a time of year when trash and waste spikes.

State environmental officials on Thursday evening hosted the last of five public engagement sessions, as they work to create a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission statewide and mitigate further effects of climate change.

Forecasters say another impactful storm is expected to move up the coast, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to the region Sunday into Monday.