"CNX Resources is slated to receive Justice40 dollars for self-monitoring. Health and justice advocates are outraged."

"PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania-based fracking company is the subject of controversy after one of its projects was listed as an environmental justice initiative under a federal government program by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

An environmental monitoring project conducted by CNX Resources, a natural gas company headquartered in Pittsburgh, was included on a list of Justice40 efforts related to the federally funded Appalachian Hydrogen Hub in a document recently released by the Department of Energy. The hub is a network of infrastructure that will create hydrogen for energy use. It’s part of a nationwide initiative to advance hydrogen production with the goal of decreasing climate-warming carbon emissions in the U.S.

Justice40 is a Biden’s administration initiative that directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal programs to environmental justice communities, which are low-income and overburdened by pollution. The inclusion of CNX’s project – dubbed the “Radical Transparency” program by the company – suggests the company is slated to receive some of the $30 million in public funds allocated to the region’s hydrogen hub project."

Kristina Marusic reports for Environmental Health News September 10, 2024. [2]