Recently, a new form of energy has generated lots of buzz in the Ohio River Valley and across the country: hydrogen. The federal government is pouring billions of dollars into new hydrogen “hubs” that would bring large-scale production to our region and several others...
Ben Hunkler
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As the Dept. of Justice nears a settlement with Norfolk Southern, full compensation for impacted East Palestine residents is “nearly impossible.”
Nearly a year and a half since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous petrochemical materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, sparking one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, community members are calling on the Department of Justice to hold a...
Revisiting Pennsylvania’s Bad Bet
The Shell Polymers Monaca petrochemicals complex shadowing the banks of the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has become something of a symbol in Appalachia. To the many families nearby, it represents a constant, draconic threat, belching episodic flames,...
Ohioans are on the fence about fracking. Why is the state pushing for more drilling on public lands?
Ohio’s state parks, forests, and wildlife areas are being queued for fracking development thanks to an opaque new law infamously dubbed the “poultry bill.” House Bill 507 started as an agricultural bill before it was amended behind closed doors—under the...
The East Palestine train derailment is petrochemical harm at its worst. For the industry, it’s a cost of doing business.
On Friday, February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous petrochemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, sparking what may be one of the worst environmental disasters in US history. Thousands of fish have turned up dead in nearby waterways; a plume...
2022 in Review
The close of 2022 marks the second year of the Ohio River Valley Institute’s research on clean energy, shared prosperity, and equitable civic structures in the greater Ohio River Valley and Appalachia. Two years ago, our organization launched as an independent,...
Industry is Misleading the Public on Carbon Capture, Internal Documents Show
Fossil fuel companies are misleading the public about carbon capture technology, according to internal documents unearthed as part of an ongoing federal investigation into fossil fuel company misinformation. Private conversations between top employees of major...
ORVI Makes Waves at the 2022 Global Clean Energy Action Forum
Last week marked the close of the Clean Energy Ministerial’s inaugural Global Clean Energy Action Forum, a three-day conference on accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy. Billed as the “biggest energy event of the year,” the forum welcomed more than...
Pennsylvanians Strongly Support a Crackdown on Fracking. Will Allegheny County Deliver?
Update: In a resounding victory for Pennsylvanians and a vindication of public will, Allegheny County Council voted 12-3 to override County Executive Rich Fitzgerald's veto, codifying the ban on fracking and other industrial activities in county parks. The override...