In just a few weeks – February 12 – the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) construction permits for Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipeline will expire. Mariner East is a pipeline spanning the state of Pennsylvania built for the purpose of exporting …
In the water, nurdles can be mistaken for a bubble. On land, they look like a rounded quartz pebble. But unlike quartz, they float and leach toxins into the water, and unlike bubbles, they end up in the guts of …
Usually, we notice and act on environmental issues close to home. Be it discolored water in our backyard creek or a petition to cut use of single-use plastics, any local action requires resources — mailer stamps, printing costs, chemical analyses, …
Recently, the Pennsylvania Senate passed SB 597, the “Water Quality Accountability Act’. If signed into law, it would raise the cost of operations for public water authorities by implementing burdensome reporting and compliance requirements that many feel are non-essential. Under …
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The bill’s purposes are to reduce healthcare costs, reduce emissions associated with energy development, and raise taxes on large corporations. The bill contains many provisions that …
MWA is proposing to purchase a 192.6 acre property in Fayette County which borders Indian Creek, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River, and Rasler Run, a tributary to Indian Creek. Indian Creek is designated as a high quality coldwater fishery, …
In the last week of June, staff at the Mountain Watershed Association were able to slide into their hip waders to join Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) in some fish shocking. Fish shocking, also recognized as electrofishing, is an environmental survey …
On May 11th, 2022, the Fayette Zoning Hearing Board held a public hearing to determine if Mountain Pines should be granted a special expectation to expand their campground onto the old Clifford Pritts Elementary School in Saltlick Township. Since the …
MWA responded to buffer cars filled with nurdles careening into the water and crumpling on the riverbanks.
Underneath the rocks that cover the floors of our watershed lives possibly the oldest animals ever recorded, sponges. They’re not much to look at, in fact, you might not notice they’re an animal at all at first glance. These tan …
The Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) is happy to announce a new upcoming education project: the Water Guardians After School Youth Club. During the 2022-23 school year, this club will take place at Springfield Clifford N. Pritts Elementary in Normalville, and …
One of Mountain Watershed’s Association’s neighbors, Mountain Pines Campground, has recently become the center of attention in our local community. During a meeting hosted by MWA and local residents, nearly 100 people gathered both virtually and in the Saltlick Township …
The Youghiogheny River Watershed is known for its clean and cool tributaries, fishing, whitewater rafting, and coal mining. Our industrial minded history paired with our current love for the outdoors brings many to wonder. Why did we ruin so many …
