At the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) public hearing on June 23, over 75 residents, community leaders, Township officials, scientists, conservation organizations, and Northeastern PA Girl Scout leadership showed up to protest the proposed Mora Solar project. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Mora Solar, LLC, wants to build an industrial-scale, 60-MW solar farm on 390 acres of pristine forest in Kidder Township, including High-Quality wild brown tr

Keel Infrastructure has received significant positive press for all the good work they are doing in Panther Valley - from donating to local gyms and public parks to hiring 2 veterans who are also brothers, Keel is the local media darling of the moment. Recently, the TimesNews posted a notice of a public hearing at the Panther Valley High School on Thursday, August 20th, at 5pm regarding the Carbon Node East (operated by Keel Infrastructure) application for a National Pollutio

Good news - the Delaware Riverkeeper Network is hosting a FREE webinar with information about how we can get involved with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) proposed revisions to their Sewage Sludge Permit regulations. Sewage sludge, processed into “biosolids”, has been applied on farm fields for decades in Pennsylvania. There is mounting evidence that "biosolids" applied on land contaminate groundwater, surface water, soil, air, and crops/farm

The lawsuit against Panther Creek Power (was Stronghold Digital then Bitfarms and is now Keel Infrastructure) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) is ongoing. The wheels of justice turn slowly—very slowly. Our lawsuit was filed by Freiwald Law back in March of 2024. We contend that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including the PA-DEP, has failed to provide the environmental protections guaranteed by our Constitution. We are also seeking damag

Thanks to Save Carbon County members, our friends in Love Kidder Township, and the Aquashicola-Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy (APWC) for speaking out against Mora Solar's proposed construction of a massive solar farm between Mosey Wood Road and State Route 940. The project will clear-cut 390 acres of forest and destroy Lehigh River tributaries in the Fourth Run and Black Creek. To be clear, Save Carbon County supports clean, renewable energy but not at the cost of pristine wi

This blog is born out of the pressing need to stand in solidarity with the residents of Palmerton who have been impacted by the noise, noxious odors, and knowledge that trucks full of landfill are dumping toxic waste near Mauch Chunk Road along the bank of the Lehigh River. The trucks are allowed under Residual Waste Permit WMGR096 for Northface Industrial Complex / Phase III Environmental, LLC. Their toxic cargo comes from New York and New Jersey, where companies pay to unlo

With many thanks to our Save Carbon County allies, below is an update on three bills currently at the Pennsylvania State Senate. Two bills recently passed the House here in Pennsylvania and are now in the PA Senate waiting for review. The third bill started in the Senate with bi-partisan support. Please contact your PA State Senator to ask for support for these bills. In Carbon County, our PA State Senator is Dave Argall. H.B. 1834 a.k.a The Data Center Act. Three agencies ar

Please join us in celebrating a vital part of what makes Carbon County special - our amazing trout! Carbon County is chock-full of Exceptional Value and High-Quality streams, protected for designated aquatic life and a number of drinking water supply and recreational uses. From the headwaters at Black Creek/Moseywood Camp in Kidder Township to important tributaries such as Long Run, Mauch Chunk, Mill, and Pohopoco Creeks, the Lehigh River watershed is one of the few remaining

Last week, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) hosted a webinar on "Biosolids and Sewage Sludge: The impacts of its application on farms in Pennsylvania.” Now, why would the DRN care about Sewage Sludge? Because Sewage Sludge is chock-full of PFAS and PFOS, the toxic forever chemicals that are poisoning our water supplies - the largest local source of drinking water is the Delaware River. Still, if the Sewage Sludge is land-applied, what does that matter? Because: 1) Run-o

Solar power offers alternative energy that is becoming more popular. Installing solar panels where they can add the most value like on rooftops and in parking lots make good sense. Clear cutting 390 acres of pristine forest to install a solar farm does not make any sense. Once a forest is gone, it's gone forever. A forest isn't just trees, it's the incredible ecosystem that thrives in the forest and we must speak out before it's too late. The Mora Solar project proposes to cl

A Penn Forest Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting regarding Data Center Zoning is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:30 PM at the Penn Forest Fire Department #1. Background: there are now three challenges to Penn Forest Township Data Center Zoning. One was filed by the Mele Bros., who own the property designated as a possible data center site. They filed a Substantive Validity Challenge prior to the adoption of the new Data Center Overlay Ordinance because the zoning at

More farmers are losing their livelihoods when their livestock dies or is destroyed and land condemned due to toxic levels of PFAS/PFOS from sewage sludge. The latest heartbreak is in Texas, where a farmer is unable to pass the family farm down to the next generation (more information is here). Closer to home, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) will hold a hearing on May 11th regarding the North Centre Township PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ hazardous

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) is coming to Lehighton this Wednesday, May 6th from 3-5PM! The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled in-person Climate Conversation Workshops across the state to help shape Pennsylvania's next Climate Action Plan. Each session includes an open listening discussion where community members can share concerns and ideas about climate change, followed by a short presentation on Pennsylvania’s Climate A

After a public hearing last week, the Nesquehoning Borough Council passed a Data Center Ordinance that is a far cry from the Penn Forest Township model ordinance. There is still an opportunity to put in the guide rails that are needed to protect our water and air. During the hearing, representatives from Keel Infrastructure (was Bitfarms for a brief period, and before that the company was Stronghold Digital) mentioned their data center project dependence on PPL's 69kV Hauto p

With many thanks to Beth Hurley for her amazing analysis, here is a sample letter for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) calling for appropriate protections and a public hearing regarding the planned disruption to Dennison Run, an Exceptional Value (EV-rated) stream in Nesquehoning (more information is available here ). Currently, PPL plans to run high-tension and fiber-optic lines to support Bitfarms/Keel Infrastructure's request for additional

Our municipal governments are inundated by data center proposals and our communities have little time to prepare or respond. Penn State Extension is offering a FREE webinar this Tuesday, April 7th at 1:00 PM. The webinar will examine the proliferation of data center development across the Commonwealth, and state and local policymakers who are weighing how best to respond. Decisions by legislators, regulators, and local governments will shape how energy costs and other potenti

Our municipal governments are developing the guardrails for data center development. Most recently, Nesquehoning posted its proposed Data Center Ordinance (downloads as a PDF). In the proposed ordinance, we see that key protections such as impervious surface and setbacks (Section 3. B, items 4 and 6) are greatly reduced compared to similar ordinances from other municipalities like Penn Forest Township. While drafting an ordinance is a step in the right direction, unless it p

From one end of Carbon County to the other, data centers are taking center stage. The Monday meeting at Penn’s Peak is CANCELLED. The Penn Forest Township Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, March 23rd is continued and will be rescheduled. The ZHB meeting was to address a Substantive Validity Challenge to the Zoning Ordinance that was filed by the property owners who plan to develop a data center in Penn Forest. We'll keep you posted when the Z

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) represents residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. The DRBC was formed in response to major water resource challenges requiring regional solutions, and to this day is a successful model for federal-state collaboration. DRBC programs focus on water quality protection; water supply allocation, water conservation initiatives, and watershed planning; regulatory review (permitting); flow and drought management; flo

Save Carbon County is a civic nonprofit (501c4) organization here in Carbon County whose focus is on saving what we love about our communities: the clean air, water, and soil. We are committed to making sure that Carbon County is not filled with warehouses, polluted by chemicals, or ruined by development that replaces forests and threatens waterways. We achieve our goals through tireless advocacy and education. We field requests for representation from across the county. The