The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development

Issue #87 of the Institute Review is now available. Read it here: https://conta.cc/3qwOzRW

COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in the region. Check out the data in our latest infographic, and be sure to follow The Institute for critical research and information on the pandemic and its effects on our region.

Issue#86 of the Institute Review is now available. Read it here: https://conta.cc/2KEFPc2

Have you visited https://luzernecountylocal.org/? Created for Small Business Saturday and beyond, this is a FREE site where any Luzerne County business can share information, announce holiday deals, and otherwise garner community support this year.

The Institute's Andrew Chew presents the latest data on rising cases of COVID-19 in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Be sure to subscribe to The Institute's YouTube channel so you don't miss the latest data updates.

Many of the region's critical environmental challenges relate to its industrial past, though residents in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties continue to generate an increasing amount of waste each year. Air and water quality are good nonetheless. According to the 2020 Indicators report: Lackawanna County generated 305,000 tons of waste in 2019 (a decrease of more than six percent from the prior year), and Luzerne County generated over 345,000 tons (an increase of 13 percent from... the prior year). Water quality monitoring suggests that the alkalinity of the Susquehanna River is slightly high, but near neutral, and that the concentration of dissolved solids in the water has diminished throughout the past five years. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), the region has maintained good air quality every day for several years. Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties together are home to seven percent of the state's 5,617 abandoned mine lands (247 sites and 165 sites, respectively). There are 11 coal refuse sites in Luzerne County and two in Lackawanna County.