IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A Letter from Our Director on the “Big Beautiful Bill”
Hello friend,
I need just three minutes of your time and I hope you’ll hear me out with an open heart and mind.
I’m worried. Not just a passing kind of worry, but the can’t-sleep, think-about-it-constantly kind of worry. The kind that sits heavy on your chest. I truly believe the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed earlier this month on July 4th, is going to do real harm to our people, our communities, and the systems we rely on to live.
Here’s the thing: we know what works. We know that investing in preventative care saves money and lives – yet this bill slashes Medicaid. We know kids do better in school when they’re well-fed – yet this bill cuts SNAP benefits, taking food out of families’ mouths. We know that giving more tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy doesn’t help working families – it never has. In fact, we’ve handed out more than $7 trillion in tax breaks since 2001, and still, more than a third of Americans say they’re struggling just to make ends meet.
And then there’s the way this bill was passed. Lawmakers admitted they didn’t read it fully. Some said they only voted for it because they hoped the other chamber would fix it. It’s clear that the pressure from the Trump Administration and billionaire donors was just too strong to resist. So it passed – not because it was the right thing to do, not because it was good policy, but because powerful people wanted it done.
That’s not democracy. That’s not leadership. And that’s not what our communities deserve.
I’m only comforted by the knowledge that we’ve been here before. Maybe not quite like this, but our history is full of dark times. Every time, it’s been ordinary people who pulled us back on track. People stood up, spoke out, organized, and refused to accept a future designed by and for the powerful few.
We still have that power. We still have each other.
I hope you’ll spend time in the coming weeks reflecting on what is worrying you, what is sitting heavy on your chest. I hope you’ll reach out – to a friend, to a neighbor, to someone at CCJ – to share. And then, I hope we can make some plans and take action to fight for the people and places we love. Together.
Sarah Martik
Executive Director, Center for Coalfield Justice
Our Reaction to the Pennsylvania AI and Energy Summit
On July 15th, Senator Dave McCormick hosted an “Energy and Innovation Summit” at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The event was hosted by a number of high-profile political and business VIPs including President Trump, Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman and CEOs from more than 60 energy and tech companies. Attendees promised over $90 billion in investments into AI, data center, and energy projects over the next decade.
These data centers require massive amounts of energy and water to operate and have already started contributing to rising utility costs and electricity demand in our region. These new projects will require more well pads, pipelines, and other drilling infrastructure in Southwestern Pennsylvania communities already burdened by pollution. Investing in these projects and writing legislation at the state and federal level to fast-track them into existence means tying the future of our region to crypto mining, personal data hoarding, and automation technologies designed to put humans out of work.
CCJ has been clear: if CEOs and politicians really want to really show up for our region, they should start by visiting impacted residents desperate for clean air and water or low-income homeowners who can’t afford to foot utility bill hikes just to power tech giants. We’ll keep working to hold them accountable and push for policies that protect ratepayers and residents living near fracking and data centers.
Our MAD-FACTS Washington Wild Things Game was a Home Run!
CCJ and MAD-FACTS (Moms and Dads – Family Awareness of Cancer Threat Spike) had a night out at the Washington Wild Things Baseball Fights Cancer Night on Saturday, July 26th! We didn’t let a rainy forecast stop us from coming together and celebrating our rapidly growing coalition of parents and community members bringing awareness to the health impacts of oil and gas activity in southwestern Pennsylvania. MAD-FACTS co-founder Janice Blanock threw out the first pitch, we donned matching custom jerseys, and chatted with fans about the connections between cancer and fracking as well as our other work and events promoting a safer, healthier future for our region. Find more information about MAD-FACTS, sign our ongoing petition for increased fracking setbacks, and join the movement today at the link below!
Range Resources Appeals Zoning Hearing Board Decision in Cecil Township
We previously highlighted that Cecil Township supervisors and residents won against Range Resources in a challenge of the township’s Oil and Gas Ordinance filed by the company. The zoning ordinance creates a setback provision that prohibits the development of any new oil and gas well pads within 2,500 feet of any home (unless waived by the landowner) and creates a 5,000-foot setback from any school or hospital within the township. In its challenge, Range claimed that these setbacks effectively prevented them from developing gas in the township. On June 16, the Cecil Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) ruled to dismiss this challenge, as the company did not show that the Ordinance harmed them or was actively impeding any proposed oil and gas development.
However, on July 15, Range filed a notice with the Court of Common Pleas, Washington County, to appeal Cecil Township’s ZHB decision, claiming that it was denied its right to due process and that there was no official quorum regarding their final decision. CCJ will once again file a petition to intervene so that we can continue to support the residents of Cecil Township and see this process through to the end. See Ethan Story’s recent blog for more about the case.
HARM REDUCTION PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Washington County Drug and Alcohol Commission
Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission (WDAC) provides three core pillars of support: prevention, treatment, and recovery. Their prevention programs are free, curated classes for specific age groups and can either take place in school or out of school for interested or referred groups. WDAC provides assessments to determine what treatment will be most beneficial to you, as well as make any necessary arrangements for you to enter treatment. They also provide several recovery resources, including an “Intervention Group,” access to Certified Recovery Specialists, and an in-depth knowledge of all the local group homes and recovery meetings (in addition to running the Recovery Center). WDAC was selected as a Center of Excellence by the Governor’s Office in 2016 to specialize in combatting Opioid Use Disorder through its community-based care management team offering job training, housing, transportation coordination, education services, childcare, employment training, connection to physical and mental health, and other services. Contact the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission at 724-223-1181 or 800-247-8379.
BLOGS & NEWS THIS MONTH
Demystifying Data Centers
Posted July 17, 2025
The recent surge in data center and AI facility development across Pennsylvania is driven by the state’s “strategic” location, access to affordable energy, and a burgeoning tech workforce. However, this rapid expansion raises several concerns that could pose significant challenges for all Pennsylvanians. Read More.
Tire Pyrolysis: A False Solution for the Mon Valley
Posted July 21, 2025
This summer, while advocating in D.C. for the Environmental Justice for All Act, we were told that cumulative impacts may be unconstitutional because of a recent Supreme Court decision: Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et. al. v. Eagle County, Colorado et. al. This decision does not make the consideration of cumulative impacts unconstitutional, and this blog will explain what it means and why cumulative impact assessments are more important now than ever before. Read More.
TAKE ACTION
Your Child’s Health Begins in Your Backyard: Support Fracking Buffer Zones in Pennsylvania!
We all deserve to breathe clean air, drink pure water, and raise our kids without fear of toxic industries in our backyards. But right now, oil and gas facilities are permitted just 500 feet away from our homes, schools, and hospitals. These operations have been linked to cancer, asthma, low birth weight and more in kids who grow up near them. We have the power to take action and move these dangerous facilities further away from our families. This goes beyond politics: we know that access to a healthy home is something everybody can agree on. That’s why last year, Cecil Township residents from across the political spectrum came together to win a new local zoning ordinance that increases the buffer zone between fracking and homes from 500 feet to 2,500 feet! Their victory is a blueprint that residents across Pennsylvania can use to win safer communities for their loved ones, no matter where they call home.
Together, we can bypass corruption and gridlock in Harrisburg by standing up for our neighbors and making change right here at the local level — all it takes is dedicated parents joining together to demand the safety and dignity we all deserve. Sign the petition below calling for common sense setbacks and learn how you can join the movement for safer homes and brighter futures in your town!
NEW: Raise PA’s Revenue – No Budget Cuts!
Pennsylvania must take action now to win a fair state budget! According to a report released by Governor Shapiro’s office, the federal reconciliation bill (Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill) will have disastrous impacts on our communities. 310,000 Pennsylvanians are expected to lose health insurance, 144,000 Pennsylvanians will be cut from receiving SNAP benefits to feed their families and 25 rural Pennsylvania hospitals are at risk of closure. Elected officials must show us that they will stand up for us and make sure that people’s basic needs are met.
Many vital services rely on federal funding support such as healthcare, transportation, and public education. We need to tell our legislators that they must raise PA’s state revenue, not cut our budget for vital services our communities rely on! Instead of making large cuts to essential services like healthcare, education, and transportation, Pennsylvania legislators should be advancing efforts to raise the state’s revenue. CCJ and our allies with the All Eyes on Yass campaign have created the “Pathway to Prosperity” platform, outlining realistic and impactful solutions Pennsylvania could adopt to raise $14 billion in state funding. There are available, immediate steps PA could take to ensure everything we need is fully funded – but legislators need to act.
SB 102 Punishes Communities That Protect Residents from Fracking – Tell Your State Representative to Vote NO Today!
Last year, Cecil Township won major protections for residents’ health by passing an ordinance prohibiting development of new unconventional gas wells within 2,500 feet of homes and businesses and 5,000 feet of schools and hospitals. This win came after a years-long fight and multiple hearings where residents voiced their concerns about the health impacts of fracking. Shortly after, Senator Camera Bartolotta, who represents Cecil Township in the Pennsylvania State Senate, introduced SB 102, a bill that would punish communities that implement ordinances like the one in Cecil. It would direct the PA Utilities Commission to withhold drilling impact fees from municipalities that “unreasonably limit” fracking without defining what makes a policy unreasonable. These impact fees are intended to compensate communities that are already burdened by oil and gas development, with funds usually going towards infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, environmental protection, and reclamation services. The funds have nothing to do with future development, so cutting them off over policies that protect communities from further harm makes no sense and only serves to punish communities for advocating against corporate interests.
SB 102 forces municipalities to choose between protecting their residents’ health and continuing to receive funding that many of these communities depend on and are entitled to. This bill is a message: polluters are more important to our legislators than the communities that elected them. Learn more and tell your representative to reject this bill that would punish communities trying to protect themselves from the dangers of fracking.
Protect Overburdened Communities from Additional Pollution: Tell Your PA State Representatives to Vote YES on HB 109
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is advancing a bill that would be crucial to helping communities like those in Southwestern Pennsylvania that are overburdened with the effects of industry pollution, but still have new projects permitted in them every day. The current permitting process at the DEP does not allow for the consideration of “cumulative impacts,” defined as “the totality of existing and imminent environmental and public health impacts of pollution in a defined geographic area.” Instead, if a permit application meets all of the requirements set out by law, it is given approval no matter what industry already exists in the community.
HB 109 would change that. It allows the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deny or modify a permit based on the cumulative impacts of pollution on the community in which the project is proposed. While it would only apply to projects proposed in designated Environmental Justice Areas rather than the whole state, this bill would still provide crucial protections for our most impacted communities by giving DEP the ability to consider and take action on cumulative impacts. It gives both DEP and impacted residents more tools to ensure vulnerable communities’ health and safety isn’t further put at risk to benefit industry expansion.
PUBLIC NOTICES
Read all of the latest relevant public notices from the past month for Washington and Greene Counties as of July 28th here.
UPCOMING CCJ EVENTS
MAD-FACTS Nature Walk
August 21 | North Strabane Park | 6-8:00 PM
Join MAD-FACTS (Moms and Dads – Family Awareness of Cancer Threat Spike) to walk the trails together in solidarity and appreciate the natural beauty of the area we call home. We will also be showing support for and raising money for Studio Seven, a local salon partnering with nonprofits to assist patients facing hair loss due to illness and chemotherapy. Together, we can continue raising awareness and fighting for a safe, healthy future!
We will gather in North Strabane Township Park for a leisurely walk for all ages on August 21 at 6:00 PM. If you prefer, you and your family are welcome to gather in the pavilion and show your support for our cause without joining us on the trails. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
SAVE THE DATE: CCJ Fall Fundraiser
October 4th | Washington, PA
Mark your calendars for our annual Fall Fundraiser in Washington Park! Every year, we gather in community to celebrate another year of CCJ with staff, board members, residents, and allies from across the region. We’ll be posting much more about food, entertainment, raffle and auction items, and much more in the next couple months, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you aren’t already!
ALLY & COMMUNITY EVENTS:
8/3 — Back to School Giveaway
1 – 2:30 PM at Washington Park Main Pavillion
Free backpacks and school supplies as well as free lunch, drinks, and snacks provided by Legacy Church Int’l, Living Waters Church of God, Mac.Bid, Washington Presbyterian & Neighbor 2 Neighbor of SWPA.
8/14 — “Zoo to You” Program – Oglebay Good Zoo
6 – 7 PM at Buffalo Township Municipal Building
Come meet some of Oglebay Good Zoo’s ambassador animals! You will also learn about ways we can help wildlife in our backyard and around the globe. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to connect with wildlife in a unique and memorable way!
Free tickets here.
9/1 — Annual Labor Day Picnic
1 – 4:00 PM at North Strabane Township Park, McClelland Pavillion
The Washington-Greene Central Labor Council is hosting an annual celebration for labor brothers and sisters and friends of labor. Entertainment, food, and drinks will be provided for all by the Tradesmen Inn.
Learn more here
9/3 – 10/15 — Beyond Plastic Pollution Course – Bennington CAPA Online
7 – 9 PM on Wednesday evenings on Zoom
This course taught by Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, will delve into almost every aspect of plastic pollution and what we can all do to reduce it – both in our own lives – and more broadly. The class is open to all high school and college students who may want to take it for academic credit. It is also open to people of all ages who love to learn and don’t need or want school credit.
More information and registration
9/13 — Peace from DV Walk
10 AM – 12 PM at Church of the Covenant (267 E Beau St)
Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania is hosting their 10th Annual Peace From DV Walk to stand together, raise awareness, and take steps toward a future free from domestic violence. Show support for survivors and raise critical funds for those in need in Washington, Greene, and Fayette Counties by donating, fundraising, or sponsoring the event now!
Learn more and start raising money here.
WEEKLY AND MONTHLY EVENTS:
Tuesdays & Saturdays — Greene County Flea Market
7 AM – 2 PM at Greene County Fairgrounds
Wednesdays — Waynesburg Farmers Market
10 AM – 1 PM at High St and Morris St
Thursdays — Main Street Farmers Market
3 – 6 PM at Main Street Pavilion (Washington, PA)
Thursdays (except 4th Thursday) — Washington County GSA Game Night
5:30 – 8:30 PM at the CENTER on Strawberry
Second Friday of Every Month — Washington County GSA Free Friday Dinner
5:30 – 8:30 PM at the CENTER on Strawberry
Please RSVP at programs@wcgsa.org
Fridays (starting 6/6) — Monongahela Farmers Market
3 – 6 PM at Chess Park
Saturdays — McDonald Farmers Market
9 AM – 12 PM at McDonald Trail Station and History Center
Every Other Saturday — Music Saturday Nights
7 – 9 PM at New Freeport Fire Hall
Second Saturday Monthly — Free Food Pantry
9 AM – 12 PM at Lemoyne Center
You can find more community events in Washington County here and Greene County here.