Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

A leak in a 68-year-old petroleum pipeline beneath Mount Eyre Manor caused contamination of local drinking water supplies with toxic fuel components like benzene and xylenes. Energy Transfer discovered the leak in January 2025, leaving residents facing concerns over remaining fuel in the groundwater. Although the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is providing oversight, federal regulators, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, declined to intervene.

The Citizens Coal Council claims the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is failing to properly implement oversight of underground coal mining damages, citing a recent report as a 'haphazard compilation' with data errors and insufficient analysis. The report, mandated by 1994's Act 54, was authored in-house by DEP, marking a shift from previous independent university-led reports, which critics argue provided more comprehensive findings.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has abandoned plans to convert two Pennsylvania warehouses into detention centers due to denied water and wastewater permits from the state. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection cited concerns about inadequate local infrastructure in Berks and Schuylkill counties. ICE’s decision follows a $38 billion expansion plan under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which was paused after her replacement, Markwayne Mullin, took office.

Environmental officials in Pennsylvania declared a Code Red air quality action day due to wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota, which is causing high particulate pollution. Residents are advised to limit outdoor activities as air quality in the Philadelphia area is forecast to be unhealthy for everyone, particularly affecting children, older adults, and those with respiratory issues.

Pennsylvania regulators plan to approve Amazon's installation of 280 natural gas-fired and three diesel-fired backup generators at its Bucks County data center. Residents like Seema Kazmi express concerns about increased pollution, while the project is part of Amazon's $20 billion investment in Pennsylvania, expected to create 1,250 permanent jobs. Emissions will be capped at 25 tons annually for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.

Pennsylvania will regulate the use of food processing residual waste (FPR) on farms under a new law, addressing environmental and odor concerns. The law requires state agencies to develop regulations for hauling and applying FPR, following incidents like a Cumberland County spill that contaminated local drinking water with foul odors.

Residents in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, criticize the slow cleanup of a Sunoco pipeline jet fuel leak, which has contaminated groundwater and disrupted the local community. Sunoco LP, with parent company Energy Transfer, plans a pilot test of multiphase extraction (MPE) to address the contamination, but elected officials and residents express concerns about delays, noise, and safety. The company has recovered approximately 518 gallons of fuel and collected over 1,800 water samples.