CURRENT ADVOCACY EFFORTS
On this page you will find a sampling of some of the current advocacy efforts that Three Rivers Waterkeeper is involved to fight for clean water plus recent and historical clean water wins! As your Pittsburgh-based Waterkeeper we work to hold polluters accountable to secure clean water for our future generations.
Recent Community Wins
Three Rivers Waterkeeper & PennEnvironment Settle Plastic Pollution Lawsuit Against Styropek
Three Rivers Waterkeeper and Penn Environment announced the settlement of their lawsuit against BVPV Styrenics LLC and its parent company, Styropek USA, Inc. The suit alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act at Styropek’s plastic manufacturing facility in Monaca, Pennsylvania. The proposed settlement addresses the discharge of wastewater and stormwater containing the microplastics — in this case, tiny plastic pellets called “nurdles”— which are manufactured at the plant.
The $2.6 million in penalty payments imposed by the settlement will help the facility’s neighbors. Two million dollars will be set aside to remediate pellets in the immediate vicinity of the Styropek facility. $500,000, plus any unused remediation money, will go toward improving the Raccoon Creek and Ohio River watershed.
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PA DEP Holds Washington Penn Plastics Accountable for Plastic Pollution in Washington County
Washington Penn Plastics (WPP) is a group of plastic production facilities that produces polyethylene and polypropylene pellets in southwest Pennsylvania.
There are three facilities located in Washington County:
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V-BAT Plastics Division Plant (“VBAT Plant”)
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Arden Plant (“Arden Plant”)
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Performance Products Division Plant (“PPD Plant”)
All three facilities were found to have plastic pellets (nurdles) escaping the facility and being released into our waterways.
PA DEP has imposed monetary fines on WPP, required improved best management practices (BMPs), and, for the first time, stated clearly that the release of nurdles into any waterway is wrong and illegal under the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. We are hopeful that these actions from PADEP can serve as an example and make it easier to hold plastic polluters accountable.
In 2023, Three Rivers Waterkeeper submitted a complaint to the PA DEP based on community reports and our observations along Chartiers Creek, urging the PA DEP to further investigate this facility and take action against the plastic pollution. During inspections, DEP observed piles of plastic pellets on the ground and deposited along streambeds during multiple visits at multiple Washington Penn Plastics facilities.
Gavco Materials Inc. Water Discharge Permit Withdrawn Due To Discharge of Hexavalent Chromium
In February 2024, Three Rivers Waterkeeper was notified by the PA DEP that Gavco Materials Inc. has withdrawn its wastewater permit. This comes after Three Rivers Waterkeeper and community members advocated for the PA DEP to deny this permit due to exceedances of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, into a tributary that eventually flows into the Monongahela River.
The PA DEP has advised that should Gavco Materials Inc. resume operations, they will need to eliminate process wastewater discharges containing hexavalent chromium.
In May 2024, a notice of a NPDES (wastewater discharge allowances) permit was posted in the PA Bulletin with a special condition to allow for a schedule of compliance for the discharge of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, that exceeds standards set to protect public health. Three Rivers Waterkeeper immediately requested to review the permit prior to the comment due date of June 5th. The PA DEP (PA Dept. of Environmental Protection) did not grant our ability to review the permit prior to the comment period ending. We then submitted preliminary comments without reviewing the full permit and requested a public hearing and extension of the public comment period. With the collective power of our community voices, we were able to prevent the issuance of this permit to discharge Hexavalent Chromium into our waterways!
Current Litigation
Notice of Intent to Sue Over 'Tar Beach'
On August 27, 2025, we sent a formal notice of intent to sue multiple entities for alleged violations of the PA Clean Streams Law at a heavily polluted site fronting the Allegheny River near 57th Street in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. This site has historically been involved in refining and storing oil since the late 1800s, and there have been massive petrochemical losses and a huge tank fire on the site.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper is represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates and alleges the site routinely discharges petrochemicals into the Allegheny River from multiple sources along the riverfrontage—a violation of the PA Clean Streams Law.
Formal Notice of Appeal of Calgon Carbon Corp's NPDES Permit
On August 14, 2025, Three Rivers Waterkeeper filed a formal notice of appeal to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board objecting to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s issuance of National Pollutant Discharge Eliminations System (“NPDES”) Permit No. PA0091227 to the Calgon Carbon Corporation (Calgon).
The facility is located on Neville Island in Allegheny County and handles both hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and nonhazardous materials. This waste includes spent carbon that has been used to remove organic chemicals and other contaminants such as PFAS. PFAS are toxic to humans, animal life, and the broader ecosystems within which they live. Because PFAS are resistant to biodegradation, they persist and bioaccumulate in the body for many years after digestion, which is why they are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to PFAS increases the risk of certain cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer, and may produce a variety of adverse reproductive, developmental, or hormonal effects.
In the spring of 2025, Three Rivers Waterkeeper documented PFAS in wastewater coming from three Calgon’s outfalls and found 24 kinds of PFAS being discharged, total PFAS concentrations of 252.1 ppt, 209.6 ppt, and 360.6 ppt. The most prominent kind of PFAS was HFPO-DA, one of the GenX chemicals used by the Chemours Company, a facility that Calgon accepts materials, which the Waterkeeper recorded at 167.3 ppt in one outfall. Because of the known PFAS discharges, Three Rivers Waterkeeper is advocating for setting actual PFAS discharge limitations at Calgon.
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Appealing Two Separate Permits for the Slickville Pipeline Project
In November 2024, Protect PT and Three Rivers Waterkeeper appealed two separate permits for the Slickville Pipeline Project issued by Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. Both permits are associated with CNX Resource Corporation's Slickville Pipeline project.
The CNX Slickville Pipeline Project expands across Bell, Loyalhanna, and Salem Townships in Westmoreland County, and aims to transport natural gas and manage produced water (Produced water is a term used in the oil industry or geothermal industry to describe water that is produced as a byproduct during the extraction of oil and natural gas, or used as a medium for heat extraction) from drilling operations. Protect PT and Three Rivers Waterkeeper have provided substantial evidence of deficiencies regarding the permits during their open comment period.
Key problems include:
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Permitting Inconsistencies
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Environmental Concerns
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Inadequate Environmental Analysis
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Disregarded Recommendations for Site Restoration
From the Archives
Advocating for Railroad Safety
In 2015, we participated in a national Waterkeepers’ effort to document the structural integrity of 250 railway bridges that cross our rivers. Our inspection of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge was featured in the resulting national report, "Deadly Crossing". Currently, we monitor two major derailments in our region and serve as the communities’ watchdog. We continue to advocate for railway safety and transportation transparency.
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On May 26, 2022, 18 train cars derailed on a small bridge outside Pittsburgh and spilled roughly 5,000 gallons of petroleum distillates into our rivers. We are working to increase transparency and information reporting to the public during major incidents that impact our drinking water sources. February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, about a quarter-mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line. The train was carrying 150 cars, and 50 cars were impacted by the accident. We are monitoring Sulphur Run and advocating for increased transparency and open accountability. We are continuing to sample this region with our next sampling data on February 10th, 2025. You can read our most recent report here: 3rwk.org/sulphurrun
Three Rivers Waterkeeper & Clean Water Action Stop Illegal Dumping of Fracking Waste into the Monongahela River!
