Posts by popemaster
WVU and Marshall Launch Grant Resource Centers to Help Communities Win Water Funding
West Virginia’s two largest universities are teaming up to help communities land funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. Marshall University and West Virginia University announced new Grant Resource Centers that will offer free grant writing support, funding source mapping, training sessions, and help developing competitive applications. A dedicated grant writer will be hired to support…
Read MoreShapiro Signs Executive Order to Rein In Data Center Development
Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order requiring data center developers in Pennsylvania to obtain local approval and meet additional regulatory requirements. The move comes as opposition to data center construction rises sharply among voters of both parties, according to recent survey data. Data centers are increasingly a water story. Their cooling systems and the…
Read MoreHow a River Watchdog Tracks Pollution Violations on the Monongahela
The Allegheny Front profiled Three Rivers Waterkeeper’s watchdog work on the Monongahela River, where the group collects pollution samples near the Synthomer chemical plant and reviews permits to hold the discharger accountable. It is a useful look at how a small nonprofit uses independent sampling, permit review, and persistence to track violations, and a model…
Read MoreFlash Flooding Hits North Central West Virginia Again
Heavy rain on August 17 caused flash flooding across north central West Virginia, closing roads and prompting water rescues. It is the latest in a punishing summer of flood events across the state, coming on the heels of the deadly July flooding that communities are still recovering from. Repeated flooding is driving West Virginia’s new…
Read MorePA DEP Finalizes Spill Notification Guidance Under the Clean Streams Law
DEP has finalized guidance clarifying when facilities must immediately notify the agency about unauthorized discharges that could pollute waters of the Commonwealth, endanger downstream users, or damage property. The final guidance was published in the August 22 PA Bulletin after DEP received more than 1,100 public comments. The final version clarifies which incidents trigger immediate…
Read MoreComments Due September 2: PA DEP Proposes PFAS Monitoring for Biosolids Spread on Farmland
Pennsylvania DEP is proposing updated general permits (PAG-07, PAG-08, and PAG-09) that would require wastewater treatment facilities to test biosolids for the forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS before the sludge is spread on farm fields as fertilizer. Facilities that exceed certain thresholds would have to develop reduction plans. It is the state’s first substantial step…
Read MoreFoundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds Opens Fall 2026 Grant Cycle
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds has opened its fall 2026 Conservation Grants cycle, and for many small watershed groups in our region this is the friendliest money on the calendar. Awards average $20,000 per project, and the foundation typically funds 15 to 30 grants in each round. Letters of Intent are due Friday, September 18,…
Read MoreAdd Your Group’s Name: Tell the EPA to Monitor Drinking Water for Microplastics
Microplastics are turning up in our water, and right now the federal government does not systematically test drinking water for them. There is a chance to change that, and organizations across our network can add their names to the push. The window closes Friday, August 28. For organizations, deadline August 28 Food & Water Watch…
Read MoreNature Is Worth $50 Billion a Year to the Ohio River Basin
We tend to talk about the Ohio River Basin’s forests, wetlands, and streams in terms of beauty and health. A new study puts a different number on them: the basin’s natural ecosystems are worth at least $50 billion a year. Not someday. Every year. That figure comes from Earth Economics, which was commissioned by the…
Read MoreAI Meets Water: A New Penn Policy Brief Maps the Road Ahead
We have spent a lot of this summer talking about what data centers take from our water. A new policy brief from The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania flips the lens and asks the other half of the question: how can the water sector put artificial intelligence to work, and do it responsibly?…
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