A pipeline company is under federal investigation over a 2018 natural gas pipeline explosion in Beaver County. Enrollment continues to decline in Allegheny County for a state supplemental nutrition program. And, PennDOT faces a funding cliff and dwindling resources.
Helping explain the headlines this week from the WESA newsroom:
- Reid Frazier, environment and energy reporter for The Allegheny Front and StateImpact Pennsylvania
- Sarah Boden, health and science reporter
- Margaret J. Krauss, transportation and infrastructure reporter
The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation of a pipeline company in connection with a 2018 natural gas explosion in Beaver County. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania has issued a federal grand jury subpoena to the pipeline’s owner, Energy Transfer, for documents.
The Revolution pipeline had been in service less than a week when a landslide caused the pipeline to rupture and explode. The blast forced evacuations and burned one house to the ground.
An important supplemental nutrition program for young families continues to lose enrollment in Allegheny County, despite recent changes to make the Women, Infants and Children program more user-friendly.
WIC provides financial assistance for groceries to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, and families with children up to age five. All U.S. states are required to transition their WIC programs from paper checks to electronic benefit transfer cards by the end of 2020.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation oversees everything from road and bridge maintenance to mass transit.
During a budget appropriation hearing this week, state lawmakers pressed PennDOT’s acting secretary to explain how the agency sets its priorities and asked about funding concerns. One thing was clear: the commonwealth is going to have to find a lot more money.
"In other news"
- From Gimlet Media: "The Real Enemy" podcast series
- From the Committee for Economic Development: 2019 Update on Child Care in State Economies
- From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Pittsburgh Explainer is hosted by Liz Reid and produced by Katie Blackley. New episodes come out every Friday. Subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
