Fracking for Gas With Gas? Susquehanna River Wars... And Good Bugs for Your Garden

The Allegheny Front is on Essential Public Radio 90.5 FM Saturdays at 7:30 am

When in central Pennsylvania, catch us on WPSU, Sundays at 7:30 am, and in Erie on WQLN on the third Sunday of the month at 4 pm for an hour-long special. We're also on other stations around the region.

On this week's Allegheny Front, a new fracking method could be a game-changer: Canadian company GasFrac has been fracking with propane instead of water. The PA Fish and Boat Commission is pushing for a section of the Susquehanna River to be declared impaired, but the Department of Environmental Protection disagrees. A $1.7 billion tax break from Gov. Corbett was reportedly the carrot that drew Shell Oil's ethane cracker proposal to PA. The weird winter weather has extended the growing season for some crops, but the late frosts cut others short. And gardeners could find buying bugs to be an eco-friendly form of pest control.
Listen to the entire program.

Canadian Company Fracking For Gas With Propane Gas

Hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale requires millions of gallons of water. A Canadian company has developed a technique that eliminates the need for all that water. But as The Allegheny Front's Matt Richmond reports, it's a hard sell for the gas and oil industry.

Bass Diseased and Dying, But DEP Says PFBC's Claims of River Impairment Need More Study

Open sores and lesions, black spots, and intersex characteristics have been appearing in smallmouth bass in a central PA section of the Susquehanna River. The state's Fish and Boat Commission says these problems are signs of a polluted river and is lobbying to declare the waterway "impaired." But the Department of Environmental Protection has said no to this approach. The AF talks with both sides.

The Organic Gardeners: Buying Bugs!

Did you know you can actually buy good bugs to eat the bad bugs? There are lots of insects, like ladybugs and praying mantises, which can be added to the garden to dispatch pests. The Allegheny Front's Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser can tell you all about it.