
Susan Phillips | WHYY
Susan Phillips tells stories about the consequences of political decisions on people's every day lives. She has worked as a reporter for WHYY since 2004. Susan's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election resulted in a story on the front page of the New York Times. In 2010 she traveled to Haiti to cover the earthquake. That same year she produced an award-winning series on Pennsylvania's natural gas rush called "The Shale Game." Along with her reporting partner Scott Detrow, she won the 2013 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Award for her work covering natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. She has also won several Edward R. Murrow awards for her work with StateImpact. She recently returned from a year as at MIT as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow. A graduate of Columbia School of Journalism, she earned her Bachelor's degree in International Relations from George Washington University.
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Mariner East pipeline builder Energy Transfer is convicted of dozens of criminal charges related to construction of its natural gas liquids line across Pennsylvania. The unusual case took aim at the company after it polluted waterways and damaged property across the 350-mile length of the project. WHYY StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Susan Phillips reports the plea includes additional funds for water restoration.
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The Delaware River’s endangered Atlantic Sturgeon population is just one-tenth of one percent what it was in the late 1800’s. That’s according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports researchers say it’s the first time they have an accurate count of the fish.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed legislation he says would hamstring local towns and cities from addressing climate change. The Republican-sponsored bill would made it illegal for local municipalities to restrict the use of natural gas to heat buildings.
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Atlantic City’s surfclam industry could lose up to a quarter of their yearly revenue due to planned offshore wind energy development. WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports the impacts to fisheries clashes with President Biden’s plans to expand offshore wind.
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Plastic water bottles make up half of all trash floating in Philadelphia’s rivers and streams. Then, there are the “micro-plastics” – tiny pieces we don’t always see. WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports a new pilot project aims to collect and count these pollutants using aquatic trash bins.
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The investigation into the cause of the deadly house explosion in Pottstown continues. Five people died including four children last month. The children’s parents were injured but survived. WHYY StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Susan Phillips reports experts say some type of gas is the likely cause.
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An offshore wind developer planning a large project off the New Jersey coast inked a deal to use all-union labor. Biden Administration officials brokered the agreement between energy firm Orsted and North America’s Building Trades Unions. WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports it’s part of a push toward what is known as a “just transition.”
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The long-delayed dredging of the Schuylkill River will restart this summer thanks to millions in federal funds. Rowers celebrated the announcement Monday by Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row. WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports the project will make it safer for boats and mitigate future flooding.
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Fuel costs are rising and it’s not just the price at the pump. Jet fuel, diesel and heating oil charges have skyrocketed. That’s good news for local refiners, which struggled during the pandemic. But as WHYY’s Susan Phillips reports the rest of us will pay more for flights and package deliveries.
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Environmental groups have urged the Biden Administration to ban transport of liquified natural gas, or LNG by rail. The groups oppose a project that could send LNG by rail from Northeast Pennsylvania across the Delaware River to a planned export terminal in South Jersey.