Harrisburg, advocates rally for tougher rules on fracking * Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Environmental advocates and residents are urging Pennsylvania regulators to expand the minimum protective buffer—setbacks—between gas wells and homes, schools and water sources. The push comes with added urgency as new AI data center development is expected to increase demand for natural gas. On Wednesday, a coalition of groups held an event at the state capitol in Harrisburg, saying they have waited two years for the Department of Environmental Protection to act on a 2024 petition for rulemaking. One attendee, Katie Weber, cited plans for a cluster of data centers powered by an on-site gas plant near her home and called for stronger limits, including a three-year moratorium proposed the day before.