Environment & Science

Officials on Monday morning cut the ribbon on its per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, treatment plant at the Bethlehem Landfill in Lower Saucon Township. The system uses air to separate the chemicals from water.

Jared Isaacman, a Lehigh Valley entrepreneur who recently conducted the first commercial spacewalk as part of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, stopped by Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown Sunday to answer questions about his trip.

Join Megan Frank every Friday at 9:30am and 6:30pm for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Allentown reporter Jason Addy and Environment and Science reporter Molly Bilinski.

State officials announced the awards this week. Grants are earmarked for improving local parks to expanding trails and river access points, and creating more green space in local communities.

Mayor J. William Reynolds attributes the progress so far to the community’s belief in the mission and their “enormous buy-in,” stemming from 125 “Climate Action Champions” and over 30 area organizations.

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 remnants of Ophelia will drift slowly southward and offshore through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, bringing a raw start to the week for the Lehigh Valley.

In a recent national report, Pennsylvania received a failing grade in its regulation and treatment of lead in schools’ water. Six local schools have reported unacceptable levels of lead since 2018, and one expert says some of the remediation methods they used are less than perfect.

No longer a tropical storm, the remnants of Ophelia will have an impact on the Lehigh Valley weather at least into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Expect showers throughout Sunday.

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.

A sunrise observance was held Saturday at the private, nonprofit park to mark the transition from summer to fall. The park features dozens of stone settings strategically placed throughout more than 20 acres.

The storm is expected to cause heavy rainfall across the Mid-Atlantic states, potentially leading to flash and urban flooding. Easton's PorchFest has been postponed to Oct. 1.

A tropical system that was officially named Ophelia on Friday will drench the East Coast this weekend, including the Lehigh Valley, officials said.

The free festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center. The schedule includes nature walks, live animal presentations, monarch butterfly tagging, music and more.

Northampton County and its conservation district appear poised to split after a County Council committee meeting Wednesday showed deep distrust between them

Lehigh Valley Breathes, a Valley-wide effort, aims to measure air quality. From the collected data, officials said they will make recommendations for improvements.

It’s becoming increasingly probable that a subtropical storm develops off the Southeast coast this weekend, forecasters say, but expected impacts to the Lehigh Valley remain in question.

It took less than two weeks to fix operational issues at Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant on Union Street. Officials described the sewer odor as an ‘"earthy" or "rotten egg" smell but said it is not harmful to human health.