Campaigns

We empower communities in the broader Youghiogheny River Watershed to engage in campaigns to address environmental degradation, climate change, and its root causes.

Shale Gas & Petrochemicals

Currently, one of the greatest threats to the health of the watersheds and quality of life in the Appalachian region is the development of shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure.

Allegheny Energy Center

A Chicago-based company, Invenergy, has been attempting to construct a shale gas-fired power plant in Allegheny County since 2016. This 639-MegaWatt plant is proposed along the Youghiogheny River, near the…

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Mariner East II Pipeline

Sunoco Logistics, L.P. (Sunoco) filed petitions in late March 2014 to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) for exemptions from local zoning in municipalities impacted by its Mariner East pipeline…

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Nurdle Patrol

Nurdle Patrol What Are Nurdles? Have you ever found a nurdle floating in a creek, wedged between rocks, or even inside a hooked fish? Nurdles are oat-sized dots of plastic…

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Hazardous Waste

MWA continues to work alongside communities directly affected by the pollution discharge, poor air quality, and health impacts of hazardous waste landfills.

MAX Environmental Hazardous & Residual Waste Landfill

MAX’s Yukon plant is the only facility in Pennsylvania that offers RCRA Subtitle C permitted waste treatment and on-site commercial disposal of residual waste. The facility’s residual waste landfill is…

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Coal Mining

Over the past 20 years, Mountain Watershed has raised almost $9 million dollars to create mine drainage treatment systems that remove harmful pollutants and have helped to restore the water and hence, quality of life, in our region. Given the success of our existing restoration activities and the tendency for mining in this watershed to produce discharges, any current and proposed coal mining activity is a huge risk for our area.

Rustic Ridge Coal Mine

The Indian Creek watershed is approximately 125 square miles and contains over 130 known discharges from abandoned coal mines. These discharges have resulted in contamination of surface water, wells, and…

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APPLY TO MWA'S DIRECT SUPPORT FUND!

Currently, one of the greatest threats to the health of the watersheds and quality of life in the Appalachian region is industrial resource extraction, primarily the development of shale gas, coal, and petrochemical infrastructure. The Direct Support Fund provides small grants to grassroots groups and advocates working toward social change on any of these environmental justice issues and more.

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A Year in the Yough

Quality of life in the Laurel Highlands region depends on the Youghiogheny River and tributaries like Indian Creek. Our streams are a source of recreation, tourism, sustainable economic growth, and drinking water. As citizens, it is our duty to protect these resources.

We hold polluters and environmental regulators accountable to ensure protection of our communities and the environment.

News & Updates

Residents Turn Out for Invenergy Public Hearing

June 15, 2021

            On June 8th 2021 the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) hosted a public hearing for the proposed 639MW shale gas-fired power plant, Invenergy’s “Allegheny Energy Center.” The proposal was met…

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Resident Loses Water After Mariner East, Gets No Help From DEP

April 22, 2021

Large shale gas pipelines like Mariner East tend to skirt densely-populated urban centers, instead snaking through rural areas to avoid large numbers of people. This strategy makes sense from a…

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Invenergy Power Plant Air Permit Released — Make Comments!

April 21, 2021

The comment period for the draft air permit for Invenergy’s proposed shale-gas fired power plant, also called the Allegheny Energy Center, is now open. The Chicago-based private company, Invenergy, has…

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