A bitcoin mining operation has started on old gas wells in Pennsylvania, raising concerns over air pollution and regulatory gaps.

Audrey Carleton reports for Capital & Main.

In short:

• Diversified Production LLC began bitcoin mining on old fracking wells without state permits, leading to regulatory violations.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) later approved the operation despite initial violations.
• Local communities and environmental advocates express concern over increased noise, air pollution, and inadequate regulatory oversight.

Key quote:

“We have invested tens of thousands of dollars in habitat work on that game lands. Now, it’s really disturbing to use that whole back section… not to mention the greenhouse gas emissions.”

— Holly May, natural resources professional

Why this matters:

Bitcoin mining on low-producing wells could significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions and environmental damage. The lack of stringent regulatory oversight may encourage similar operations, potentially escalating pollution and local disturbances.

Pennsylvania communities deserve environmental justice. 

Imagine living all your life next to a power plant that sends smoke into the atmosphere each day. Imagine your local water system being filled with chemicals that go into your bloodstream every time you hydrate. Imagine your kids getting asthma at a young age because of the harmful particulates in the air they breathe. For too many Pennsylvania residents, these situations are all too real. 

This year, voters will consider whom to support in the State House, a critical opportunity to strengthen Pennsylvania’s slim pro-environment majority in Harrisburg. For decades, the legislature has been under the influence of large corporate polluters, doing their bidding and thus endangering the health of thousands of Pennsylvanians one community at a time. Now that the environmental movement has gained a foothold in Harrisburg, Pennsylvanians can set their sights on building support for a more robust environmental agenda. A top priority must be the pursuit of environmental justice policies.

READ: Time to Move on Bold, New Clean Energy Plan for Pennsylvania

Environmental justice is needed to protect the health and well-being of citizens who have suffered from living in close proximity to fossil fuel-burning and polluting infrastructure. Individuals who live near power plants, landfills, factories and highways face health risks that other residents do not. Higher risks of asthma, cancers and fertility issues from chemical exposure, and chronic cough issues are among the challenges that too many residents face. 

It is disproportionately low-income communities, Latino and African-American communities that bear the worst burden from these industry-caused illnesses. For decades, these issues and the inequality underlying them went unexplored, unexplained, and ignored. 

Finally, Pennsylvanians are calling for environmental justice in a statewide effort to push back on environmental racism. 

The truth is that decision makers who decide where to build factories, power plants, ​​incinerators, landfills, and sewage plants have either 1) not considered the impact on local populations or 2) deliberately placed such infrastructure near communities without political clout. As a result, burdened communities with little political influence suffer from worsening air quality and water conditions. 

Three bills in Harrisburg will do something about it. 

HB 652 would give standing to communities in close proximity to unsafe facilities. It would create a legal definition of “burdened communities” to insist upon consideration for affected neighborhoods and ensure local voices are represented in decision processes on utilities, factories, landfills and powerplants. Under the bill, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would be allowed to deny permits to project applicants whose plans have a measurably corrosive health impact on surrounding communities.

READ: How Fossil Free Penn Is Advocating For Climate Justice  

HB 707 would protect one of the only state organizations in place to advocate for marginalized communities from environmental abuse: the Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJAB). Composed of historically marginalized groups, environmentalists, academics, and industry experts, EJAB does essential work in scrutinizing and replacing policies that harm human health. The bill safeguards the EJAB from potential partisan dismantlement under any future anti-environment administration. 

HB 742 would give marginalized communities a seat at the table and petition the government to change harmful projects and policies. The bill directs the DEP Secretary to form Regional Environmental Justice Committees consisting of historically marginalized groups and environmental experts. Individuals from burdened communities would be able to petition these committees about adverse environmental effects of state policies. This crucial step would give voice to local residents to prevent environmental damage to local people.  

Pennsylvania is one of the few states in the nation that provides citizens a constitutional right to a clean environment. As Section 127 of Pennslylvania’s constitution reads: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.” For far too long, this right was not properly afforded to individuals and families in burdened communities. 

There are some who are still fighting for frackers, drillers, and oil companies that pursue profits at the expense of human health. We must do everything we can to defeat these forces and ensure our commonwealth lives up to its constitutional promise. 

We hope that readers will contact their legislators and encourage them to support HB 652, HB 707, and HB 742 to protect the health and wellbeing of all Pennsylvania residents, no matter their zip code, race, or socio-economic situation.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Water utility companies have been replacing lead pipes throughout the region, but not everyone knows if their water lines are made with lead.

When it comes to the water in your home, the water lines that run down the street are owned by the company, while the homeowner owns from the curb into the house. 

“After the curb and into the customer’s house is what the customer is responsible for,” Joann Hepler of Pennsylvania American Water said. 

However, under a special lead line replacement program at Pennsylvania American Water, crews will replace the homeowner’s lead water lines at no direct cost to the customer. 

“When we determine that you have a lead service, we will replace it as part of a main replacement project or separately if we don’t have a project going on in that area,” Hepler said. 

To find out if you have lead pipes going into your house, and most do not, Hepler, lead program operations manager, says customers should go to a special map on the company’s website, type in their address, and then see what the company has on file. 

“If you can’t figure it out, if you request an inspection, we’ll send somebody to come in and inspect that service line for you,” Hepler said.

You can let Pennsylvania American Water know of your lead pipes in an online survey, and Hepler says you should let the company know quickly. While it may take a while to replace lead water pipes, Hepler says don’t worry about the water quality. 

“We take steps to reduce the potential of lead leaching from service lines and household pipes into water by managing the levels of PH in the water leaving our treatment facilities and adding a corrosion inhibitor where we need to,” Hepler said.

Pennsylvania American Water says it has a plan to replace all lead pipes leading into homes over the next decade.