Former government officials say the state isn’t doing enough to regulate fracking waste, even as new research shows it’s far more radioactive than previously known.
More than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.
Advocates say more distance is needed to protect public health. Industry groups and Republican legislators say the rule change would effectively ban natural gas development.
The Pennsylvania site, shorthand for the dangers of nuclear power after a 1979 meltdown, is set for revival under a deal to power Microsoft data centers.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has withdrawn Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, abandoning the state’s signature climate policy in a move that stunned environmental advocates.
