
Molly Bilinski
Environment & Science reporterI cover environment and science for LehighValleyNews.com. Originally from Schuylkill County, I got my start in journalism writing obituaries for the Reading Eagle in 2014 after graduating from Kutztown University. I’ve also reported for The Press of Atlantic City, covering municipalities, crime and courts, and The Morning Call, where I was part of the audience team. In 2022, I won first place in the diversity category of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Keystone Media Awards. Contact me at mollyb@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8225.
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The Gap Fire, which erupted Saturday near Route 248 in Lehigh Township, has drawn hundreds of firefighters over four days. Crews have gotten the upper hand and are now searching for and extinguishing hotspots, officials said.
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Around 10 p.m. Sunday, the evening operation was passed off to DCNR State Wildland Crews, the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. said on social media. A planned backburn was underway to stop the spread of a fire burning since Saturday.
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State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2025 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.
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Lehigh and Northampton counties are in a drought watch due to persistently dry weather. The Lehigh County Authority is asking residents to start conserving.
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A red flag warning is issued when the risk of fire danger is highest. The warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday.
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The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday showed all of the Lehigh Valley in either “moderate” or “severe” drought.
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PennEnvironment's 2024 “Renewables on the Rise” report ranks every state for the production of wind energy, solar power, energy storage and other metrics over the last decade, tracking growth.
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Covering 187 acres in Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships, the sanctuary has seven different trails, and is the conservancy’s ninth nature preserve in the Lehigh Valley.
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The plan, estimated to cost more than $300 million over the next decade, seeks to overhaul and upgrade aging water and wastewater infrastructure across more than a dozen Lehigh County municipalities.
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The Bethlehem Area School District is getting $2 million in federal rebates to buy 10 more electric school buses. Officials expect the buses to be in service next school year.
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State environmental officials, along with conservationists across the U.S., are partnering this summer for a firefly observation program called the Firefly Watch Community Science Project.
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The Schnecksville zoo's annual Independence Day Celebration included patriotic enrichment for the animals, free flags for guests, as well as live music from the Allentown Hobo “Almost” Marching Band.
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More people are clamoring for drone shows, which are quieter and safer than fireworks, but Chris Hopkins has the ability to deliver both, and more.
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Earlier this month, the state Senate approved Sen. Lisa Boscola's bill, which would increase the fine and direct any fees collected towards bald and golden eagle conservation efforts across the commonwealth.
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Monday was the first time in decades there were no pink envelopes for Pennsylvania hunters looking to buy antlerless licenses. Here's how the launch of online sales went.
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3M Co. has committed up to $10.3 billion, payable over 13 years, for remediation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
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Officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for all of Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley.
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Officials gathered at The Waterfront to highlight the Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants program.
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While environmentalists and researchers said impacts on the region’s crops and water may be few due to the short duration of smoky days, it’s a largely understudied topic.
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Officials are marking 10 years on the farm in Bethlehem, supporting the Lehigh Valley's hungry and spreading education about sustainable farming practices.
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The pause is the latest obstacle for landfill officials, who want a 275-acre expansion, and a being counted as a success for many residents who have argued and rallied against it.
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Held June 7 in Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley Environmental Advisory Council Network’s “Funding Municipal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs,” focused on federal and state funding opportunities available to organizations across the region.