(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Chippewa Township, PA) According to a Facebook post from the Chippewa Township Volunteer Fire Department a tractor-trailer hit the Chippewa interchange toll booth just before 7 p.m. on I-376 on Thursday. Heavy damage was done to the toll booth and the truck. Following an investigation by state troopers and turnpike workers. The driver was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. There was no other information reported.

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio speaking at the United States House of Representatives)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington) According to a release from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office on Thursday, Deluzio introduced the Shipbuilding Innovation Act. This would help the United States to improve their shipbuilding industry, because China is currently making ships almost a hundred times more than the rate of the United States. The bill would also keep watch on certain ships around the country and work on propulsion and non-traditional power systems.  

(File Photo of children playing, Caption for Photo: Diverse children enjoying playing with toys)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) As President-elect Donald Trump takes office, federal safety-net programs such as Medicaid, CHIP and SNAP, which support eighty million low-income Americans, may face cuts to reduce inflation and debt. Forty percent of the child population is covered through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. Carolyn Myers with Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children says Medicaid has been instrumental in reducing the child uninsured rate. Cuts to the program will threaten coverage and benefits to the one point two million children currently enrolled in Pennsylvania. Myers emphasizes that Medicaid enrollment is open year-round, allowing families to access essential health care. For support, visit the Compass website or call 1-877-385-8930. She highlights that health-care coverage has significantly improved children’s health and graduation rates, and cutting funding could jeopardize these vital benefits.

(Photo Provided with Release)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Bedford, PA) The Pennsylvania Beef Council announced on Tuesday that one-hundred and seventeen Pennsylvania school districts to date are participating in the PA Beef to PA Schools Program. During the 2024-2025 school year, locally sourced and fresh beef will be given to students to incorporate more of this kind of beef into school lunches. Cattle producers will work with schools and food service professionals to deliver over 132,000 pounds of beef to Pennsylvania students from over twenty-six farms. The beef industry will also help students to get closer to their community and agriculture in support of this initiative.

(File Photo of the Aliquippa City Building)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

(Aliquippa, PA) The Aliquippa City Council adopted their 2025 budget on Wednesday night. City Manager Sam Gill told Beaver County Radio that the total budget of $6,933.437.00 represents a 1.5% increase for the coming year. Taxes on land remain at 14.88 mills and taxes for buildings will increase to 3.18 mills.

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Deluzio (D-PA-17) and Congressman Mike Rulli (R-OH-06) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin raising major concerns over the Department of Defense’s (DOD) efforts to receive approval to incinerate polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at a plant in East Liverpool, OH. Represented by Congressman Rulli, East Liverpool is a community in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District along the Ohio River and is just a few miles upwind of Allegheny and Beaver County communities in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Deluzio.

Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS is a type of manufactured chemical that breaks down very slowly and is frequently found in defense-related materials like firefighting foam. As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes, PFAS “can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time.” Research is still ongoing to understand the comprehensive impacts that these types of long-lasting chemicals can have on human health and the environment, but PFAS have already been linked to several adverse health impacts, including cancer and birth defects. In 2022, Congress passed a law prohibiting the DOD from incinerating PFAS until they could issue guidance in line with the EPA’s disposal advice.

And yet, as the Congressmembers write in their letter, “The DOD is looking to resume the incineration process in East Liverpool, Ohio, that can contaminate the surrounding soil, seep into nearby water sources, and pollute the air.”

The Congressmen continue, “The DOD has cited improved, cleaner incineration techniques as their reasoning for this renewed appeal. The EPA, however, disagrees, and just earlier this year admitted that ‘uncertainties remain’ regarding the effectiveness and safety of PFAS incineration. You should not carry out any operations in our communities without being certain of its safety.”  

In the letter Congressmen Deluzio and Rulli ask several questions of Secretary Austin and his Department, including:  

• “What is this new process that the DOD claims is ‘cleaner?’” 

• “What will you do to ensure these communities are kept safe and that nothing will leach into our soil, water, and air?” 

The Congressmen conclude, “There must be acceptable answers to these questions before something happens that could put our constituents at risk. We urge you to end any PFAS incineration and block any efforts to resume this in East Liverpool until the DOD and EPA can prove there is no risk to our communities’ health and safety. We also implore you to work closely with local leaders of the affected communities so that they are aware of your plans and can best advocate for their interests.” 

A full copy of the letter is available here.