November 1 Issue - Newspaper - Page 5
EDITION 10
May 13 2025
Page 5
Coal Regulations DEP
Holding Up Development
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) hesitation to update its coal
regulations is actively hindering new development,
driving away investment, and costing the state jobs.
While other energy-producing states adapt to market
demands and technological advancements,
Pennsylvania remains stuck in a regulatory time warp,
suffocating its coal industry and missing out on
opportunities for economic growth.
New mines, power plants, and coal-dependent
industries face years of bureaucratic red tape before
they can start construction. Other states have
streamlined their permitting processes while
maintaining environmental safeguards, but
Pennsylvania’s sluggish Department of Environmental
Protection review process and resistance to regulatory
updates make development nearly impossible. As a
result, energy firms and manufacturers are looking to
more business-friendly states, taking jobs and tax
revenue with them.
Pennsylvania’s coal regulations were designed for a
20th-century industry and do not reflect today’s energy
landscape. The state has been slow to adopt policies
that support advanced coal technologies, such as carbon
capture, coal-to-products manufacturing, and more
efficient emissions controls. Without regulatory clarity,
companies hesitate to invest in cleaner, more efficient
coal projects, leaving Pennsylvania behind states like
Wyoming and North Dakota, which are embracing
innovation.
impossible, deterring
private investment in
coal-dependent regions.
Coal isn’t just a fuel for
burning; it’s a vital
material for steel
production, rare earth
minerals, and advanced
manufacturing. However,
Pennsylvania’s
regulations treat coal as a
declining fuel source
rather than as a resource
for future industries.
Because Pennsylvania’s coal policies are stuck in
limbo—neither fully supporting the industry nor
making a decisive transition to alternatives—businesses
face constant uncertainty. Will stricter rules be
imposed? Will courts overturn permits after years of
delays? This unpredictability makes long-term planning
SHANA
BROWN
Means Business
Brown may be all
business when it comes to
guiding the small
business owners of the
area in getting grants and
funding to help them see
their entrepreneurial
dreams come true, but
she also sees the need for
some fun and games to
As coal mines and related
businesses shrink due to
regulatory stagnation,
Pennsylvania’s rural
economies suffer. Unlike
other states that support
workforce retraining or
incentivize new industrial
uses for coal,
Pennsylvania’s inaction
leaves workers stranded,
Market that runs at the
pavilion from May
through October, helping
to grow a bustling
economy in the area.
It takes a village to make
all of this happen and
Brown is more than
happy to rally the troops
as she works diligently
with the local shop
owners to bring all this to
our wonderful city. She
says that it makes her
proud to be a member of
this community and that
it is “close to my heart.”
By Toni Fitch
When Shana Brown was
hired by the Washington
Business District
Authority (WBDA) her
title was originally “Main
Street Manager.” When
she accepted the position,
the task was to return the
uptown/downtown region
of the city to its former
glory, when businesses
were thriving along Main
Street and beyond.
Through the years,
covering a 14-block
radius, Brown was
eventually appointed
Director of the WBDA.
This move was
influenced by the work
she did in helping to
establish approximately
thirty new businesses
within the area. These
range from Pretzels Plus
and Twisted Fitness in the
downtown corridor to
Uptown Nutrition and
Soup’d Up that run along
Chestnut Street.
States like West Virginia
are already attracting
factories that turn coal
into high-value products,
while Pennsylvania’s
rigid rules leave these
opportunities untapped.
Unfortunately, Brown’s
tenure with the WBDA
will be coming to an end
soon. But fear not,
Washingtonians. She has
accepted a new position
with Washington and
Shana Brown
balance things out. She
has developed events that
have drawn record-setting
crowds to the region such
as the Running of the
Wools event that will be
held for the third straight
year on May 3. This is
just one of many
activities that take place
in the Main Street
Pavilion and along the
downtown/uptown region
that helps bring the
community together
while also attracting
visitors from outside the
area. The business
owners are encouraged to
join in the fun while the
crowds of people enjoy
the various shops and
restaurants that the city
has to offer.
Brown mentioned that the
WBDA tries to hold at
least one event per
month, such as the
aforementioned Running
of the Wools, as well as
First Fridays of
Downtown that run
during the summer
months, and the Whiskey
Rebellion Festival in July.
All these activities lead
up to holiday festivities
and the parade that
welcomes the Christmas
season in December. She
manages this all while
maintaining the weekly
Main Street Farmers
accelerating population
decline in coal country.
Pennsylvania doesn’t
have to choose between
coal and progress, but it
must modernize its
approach. Updating
regulations to encourage
cleaner technologies,
speeding up permitting
processes, and supporting
coal-based manufacturing
could revive struggling
regions. Without change,
the state will continue to
lose jobs, investment, and
its competitive edge in
energy and industry.
Jefferson College (W&J).
And she has big plans to
strengthen the bond
between the city and the
college that will benefit
everyone with new
projects on the docket
such as the Presidents
Pathway Project. Thanks
to money secured via
LSA and Main Street
Matters grants, this
endeavor is designed to
connect the college with
the city along Pine Alley,
strengthening the ties
between the two. She
plans to transition her
replacement into her
position before she
departs and begins her
next chapter on July 1.
Until then, it is business
as usual for Brown. And
right now, business is
booming.
