Environment & Science

The commonwealth's six-week leaf-peeping season has begun. Here's when in the Lehigh Valley can expect peak colors, as well as some of the best places to see fall foliage.

Lehigh Valley Breathes is a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. The project is expected to run for a year.

Remember Ophelia? The tropical system that recently brought days of dreary weather to the Lehigh Valley is back. Sort of.

A local initiative to develop a sustainable farm food infrastructure was instrumental in Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding choosing to appear in Easton to announce the theme for the 2024 state Farm Show in Harrisburg.

A new tool announced Tuesday lets Bethlehem Township residents report flooding and other stormwater issues which are common in the township.

Wildlands Conservancy bought the Carbon County land, which included a Lehigh River tributary, transferring ownership to the state Game Commission. Advocates aim to ward off development and protect the health of the river.

A community healing garden is now open to patients and the public at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg. Peter Yenawine, along with the Auxiliary of Lehigh Valley Hospital and master gardeners, teamed up to create the space incorporating native and medicinal plants.

The remnants of Ophelia will drift slowly southward and offshore through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, bringing a raw start to the week for the Lehigh Valley.

In a recent national report, Pennsylvania received a failing grade in its regulation and treatment of lead in schools’ water. Six local schools have reported unacceptable levels of lead since 2018, and one expert says some of the remediation methods they used are less than perfect.

No longer a tropical storm, the remnants of Ophelia will have an impact on the Lehigh Valley weather at least into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Expect showers throughout Sunday.

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor hail. There's frozen precipitation in the Lehigh Valley forecast on Wednesday — it's called graupel.

The Easton Environmental Advisory Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to send a letter to city council and Lafayette College outlining their concerns after more than 40 trees were cleared.

Borough council on Monday night heard a presentation on options to mitigate PFAS in its residential drinking supply. None of the proposals are cheap.

On Sunday, a counterclockwise-spinning low pressure system was moving up the coast. The Lehigh Valley was on the western side of the low, which meant heavy rainfall.

The Slatington-based nonprofit promotes conservation through education, research and outdoor recreation for all. Through that work, the landscape has radically changed for the better, making the Lehigh Valley a greener place.

Hundreds of power outages were reported across the Lehigh Valley early Monday following heavy rains. At least 2.35 inches fell at the airport.

Proposed shipping routes showed Norfolk Southern trains carrying LNG directly through several Lehigh Valley municipalities on their way to southern New Jersey.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

This year's Energy and Environment Summit, led by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, was held Friday morning at The Club at Twin Lakes.

City officials in Easton are warning that a large bear was spotted Thursday on College Hill near Parker and Shawnee avenues.

The Lehigh Valley Youth Climate Summit is slated for Saturday at the Nurture Nature Center. The event is free, with a lecture open to the general public.

Ticks are showing up in greater numbers this year across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. So far, more than 700 ticks have been sent in for a testing program in Connecticut that normally would have gotten 200 to 300 by now.