Panther Creek Power: Goliath in Carbon County

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 damages for citizens harmed by pollution from the power plant's burning of tires and tire-derived fuel. At this point, we are still in the “back and forth” stage, where the defendants have challenged our right to sue and the particulars of our case. Freiwald Law will file additional briefing by July 2, and thereafter, the Court is expected to schedule oral argument and issue an opinion on the preliminary issues. Many thanks to those members of Save Carbon County who are participating as plaintiffs. It is only by their participation that we have been able to keep our lawsuit active. For a sense of the size and scale of this 350 Mega Watt, 336-acre project, please take a look at the image from the Keel Infrastructure website below.

The latest update on the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit request for the 69 kV line that Keel Infrastructure requested PPL Electric install across the Nesquehoning wetlands is below. For more information, visit the PA-DEP website at https://www.pa.gov/services/dep/water/clean-water/apply-for-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-npdes-permits

PA-DEP NPDES Permit Update