News

Scroll down for an update on our conservation work, our ongoing campaigns, our upcoming events, our volunteer opportunities, and press.

Following MWA Legal Victory, DEP Accepts First Unsuitable-for-Mining Petition for Review in 30 Years

By Melissa Marshall / August 11, 2026

MELCROFT, Pa. — On August 6, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) formally accepted Mountain Watershed Association’s petition for technical review under Pennsylvania’s Unsuitable for Mining program—the first…

What Does the Proposed ICVWA Settlement Mean for Our Community?

By Sarah Thomas / August 6, 2026

Indian Creek Valley Water Authority (ICVWA), a publicly owned water utility, is proposing to sell its water system to Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC), a privately owned water utility. ICVWA…

Read our Summer Newsletter!

By Colleen O'Neil / August 3, 2026

Our 2026 Summer Newsletter is hot off the presses! This mid-year report summarizes our accomplishments, events, and projects so far this year. Read it below (best viewed in full-screen on…

Submit Comments on Wastewater Discharge Permit for Homer City’s New Power Plant

By Nate Ricketts / July 30, 2026

To operate their new, massive gas-fired power plant, Homer City Redevelopment is proposing to discharge 6.84 million gallons per day into Blacklick Creek, a trout stocking fishery. The 4.4-gigawatt power…

Court Says DEP Wrongly Rejected Petition to Protect 11,000 Acres From Mining

By Melissa Marshall / July 28, 2026

On July 7, 2026, the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board unanimously ruled in favor of Mountain Watershed Association (MWA), finding that state regulators were wrong to reject MWA’s request to study…

Quick facts about transmission lines

By Nate Ricketts / July 8, 2026

Data centers have been all over the news lately, and for good reason. Hyperscale facilities can be loud, stinky, and can use up as much energy as a small city.…

Report Reveals Deep Mine Subsidence Risk

By Nate Ricketts / June 29, 2026

LCT Energy has not been sharing everything they know about subsidence risks in their Rustic Ridge deep mine. LCT commissioned Barr Engineering to perform an in-depth analysis of the mine’s…

The Yough Watershed’s longest hiking trail turns 50!

By Colleen O'Neil / June 24, 2026

I huffed up the slope, so steep I had to scrabble at the trail with my hands. My best friend and her dad were way ahead of me, tromping up…

Write a Comment to DEP! Proposed Rustic Ridge II coal mine wastewater permit threatens water supplies, ecosystems, and local headwaters

By Stacey Magda / June 18, 2026

The proposed Rustic Ridge II coal mine wastewater discharge permit threatens area private water supplies, ecosystem service, and another headwater. Submit comments to DEP to save the headwaters of Jacobs…

Long-Awaited Win for the Wild & Scenic Yough!

By Colleen O'Neil / June 18, 2026

Old-growth hemlock trees in the Youghiogheny Grove and citizens of the Wild and Scenic Yough finally have a win!  The Appellate Court of Maryland has ruled that the Maryland Department…