Eliza Griswold profiles the economic, health, and environmental troubles of Amwell Township, PA, after an oil company moves in and begins fracking for natural gas.
"[Range Resources representative Matt] Pitzarella cited a study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania that found that 40 percent of Pennsylvania's water wells had at least one pre-existing water-quality problem, and that there was no obvious influence on private water-well quality from fracking. In a previous study, 2 percent of the state's wells had arsenic levels that exceeded health standards.
Soon [resident Stacey] Haney and her kids began to notice that even outdoors it smelled a lot like the shower - a combination of sweet metal, rotten eggs and raw sewage. Talking to neighbors, Haney learned that atop a hill, about 1,500 feet from her home and less than 800 feet from that of her neighbor, Beth Voyles, there was an open, five-acre chemical impoundment filled with chemically treated water."
FULL STORY: The Fracturing of Pennsylvania
Scrutinizing the Reality of Bernie's Energy and Climate Plans
CNN host Fareed Zakaria questions whether the goals of Sanders' ambitious Green New Deal are realistic.
Allegheny River Town Debates Fracking Water Treatment Plant
Opponents cite environmental risks, supporters hope the facility will boost the economy of a struggling community.
Methane Emissions Replace CO2 Emissions— Is This Progress?
For the first time, electricity generated from burning natural gas will surpass coal, largely due to fracking of shale. While that means that carbon dioxide emissions will continue to drop, it also means that methane emissions will increase.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions