Kiley Bense

Kiley Bense

@kiley.bsky.social

Journalist at @insideclimatenews.org covering climate change, the environment, public health, and politics. Recent work: https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/kiley-bense/

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Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

Hello! I’m the Pennsylvania reporter at Inside Climate News, covering climate, the environment, energy, and politics. That includes everything from fracking and steelmaking to elections, wildlife, activism, and public policy. You can read my recent work here: insideclimatenews.org/profile/kile...

insideclimatenews.orgKiley Bense - Inside Climate NewsKiley Bense covers climate change and the environment with a focus on Pennsylvania, politics, energy, and public health. She has reported on the effects of the fracking boom in Pennsylvania, the expan...
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

@dangearino.bsky.social and I appeared on this Danish podcast to talk about energy and climate policy under the second Trump administration. The podcast is called “Project Trump.”

Jakob Terp-Hansen@jakobterp.bsky.social

Ny Projekt Trump: Jeg taler med de to amerikanske klimajournalister @kiley.bsky.social og @dangearino.bsky.social fra Inside Climate News. Vi gennemgår Trumps promovering af fossil energi, angreb på eksempelvis vindenergi og håbet for en grøn omstilling alligevel. Lyt fx med her:

podcasts.apple.comKiley Bense og Dan Gearino: Trumps klimapolitik vil mærkes mange år fremPodcastepisode · Projekt Trump · 9. september · 44 min.

Kiley Bense reposted

Lisa Sorg
@lisasorg.bsky.social

Chatham Co. residents in NC have valid reasons to be concerned re: Enbridge's proposed nat gas pipeline: In Tennessee, the company damaged wetlands & streams, encroached on private property + feds issued a stop-work order on one segment of its Ridgeline project insideclimatenews.org/news/2506202...

insideclimatenews.orgA Pipeline Company Says It Will Protect the Environment in North Carolina. Its Record in Tennessee Says Otherwise. - Inside Climate NewsDamaged wetlands and streams, spills of drilling mud and a federal stop-work order have plagued the Ridgeline Expansion Project in Tennessee.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

Yesterday, I wrote about the Trump administration’s abrupt firing of the National Science Board and how it fits into a broader pattern of attacks on American science in the past year and a half. insideclimatenews.org/news/2804202...

insideclimatenews.orgTrump Takes a ‘Wrecking Ball’ to Independent Scientific Advisory Board - Inside Climate NewsWithout the impartial oversight of its board, the National Science Foundation is now “fully at the behest of the White House,” experts warn.

Kiley Bense reposted

Marianne Lavelle
@mlavelle.bsky.social

The Trump rollback of federal climate policy has made state battles more key for the fossil fuel industry. Enter "Natural Allies," an industry group in Pennsylvania that sell its pro-gas message to Democrats. By @kiley.bsky.social @insideclimatenews.org insideclimatenews.org/news/1104202...

insideclimatenews.orgGas Industry Front Group Targets Democrats in Pennsylvania - Inside Climate NewsThe industry group pays politicians to convince voters that natural gas is the “most affordable and reliable energy source.”
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

Bald eagles are one of the 21st century's great conservation success stories. But scientists today are worried about the long-term impacts of an unusually persistent outbreak of avian flu on this species and other raptors. insideclimatenews.org/news/2603202...

insideclimatenews.orgAvian Flu Has Killed Thousands of Birds in the U.S. Pennsylvania Is at the Epicenter. - Inside Climate NewsBald eagles and other raptors are among more than 100 bird species that have died from avian flu in the past four years—and the virus is still spreading.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

“Now that we’ve allowed it to happen, we’re going to have to be watching forever." Scientists say the study, which looked at how radioactivity in fracking waste may be contaminating landfills, is just the beginning of monitoring that will be needed for years. insideclimatenews.org/news/1303202...

insideclimatenews.orgPennsylvania Publishes Long-Awaited Study on Radioactivity in Landfill Runoff - Inside Climate NewsThe state concluded there is “no current cause for concern.” Experts worried about the long-term impacts of fracking waste say more research is required.

Kiley Bense reposted

PA Environment Digest, By David E. Hess, Former PA DEP Secretary
@paenvironmentnews.bsky.social

Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: PA DEP Publishes Long-Awaited Study On Radioactivity In Landfill Leachate [Former DEP Radiation Protection Director Said Annual Sampling Required Because Landfills Change Over Time] insideclimatenews.org/news/1303202...

insideclimatenews.orgPennsylvania Publishes Long-Awaited Study on Radioactivity in Landfill Runoff - Inside Climate NewsThe state concluded there is “no current cause for concern.” Experts worried about the long-term impacts of fracking waste say more research is required.

Kiley Bense reposted

Dan Gearino
@dangearino.bsky.social

New from me and @mlavelle.bsky.social: Why Electricity Bills Are So High—and How the Blowback Could Hit Trump insideclimatenews.org/news/0203202...

insideclimatenews.orgWhy Electricity Bills Are So High—and How the Blowback Could Hit Trump - Inside Climate NewsAs Democrats and climate activists seize on energy costs as a political issue, new data shows electricity rates rose 5 percent nationwide in 2025. The figures were much higher in some states.

Kiley Bense reposted

Peter Aldhous
@peteraldhous.com

‘We Will See Them in Court’: Environmental Lawyers Vow to Challenge Trump’s Repeal of Key Climate Finding insideclimatenews.org/news/1202202...

insideclimatenews.org‘We Will See Them in Court’: Environmental Lawyers Vow to Challenge Trump’s Repeal of Key Climate Finding - Inside Climate NewsThe Trump administration repealed the EPA’s 2009 determination that greenhouse gases are a pollutant, an important legal foundation for their regulation.

Kiley Bense reposted

Dan Gearino
@dangearino.bsky.social

Replying to @dangearino.bsky.social

Also, make sure to read @insideclimatenews.org coverage of the endangerment finding rule change, including this banger from @kiley.bsky.social (with much more to come from our newsroom): insideclimatenews.org/news/1202202...

insideclimatenews.org‘We Will See Them in Court’: Environmental Lawyers Vow to Challenge Trump’s Repeal of Key Climate Finding - Inside Climate NewsThe Trump administration repealed the EPA’s 2009 determination that greenhouse gases are a pollutant, an important legal foundation for their regulation.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

When Hurricane Ida hit the 200-year-old Fairmount Water Works in 2021, it forced a reckoning about what this iconic landmark must do if it wants to survive another century. insideclimatenews.org/news/0102202...

insideclimatenews.orgWith Waters Rising, Pennsylvania’s Historical Treasures Must ‘Adapt or Collapse’ - Inside Climate NewsPHILADELPHIA—Karen Young stood in a cavernous room perched on the edge of the Schuylkill River that was once a public swimming pool.  Abandoned in 1972 after a hurricane, the old natatorium is part of...

Kiley Bense reposted

Alan Gerard
@wxmanms1.bsky.social

The pace of our news cycle makes it easy for stories to fall off the screen - but the disaster in parts of the South from the ice storm is still very much ongoing. Some important observations from the ground there - and more about the next major storm for the East. tinyurl.com/43987xnn

tinyurl.comHigh impact winter storm looks increasingly likely for parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast this weekend, while major impacts linger from ice stormArctic cold and high winds will add to the issues through the weekend

Kiley Bense reposted

Michael E. Mann
@michaelemann.bsky.social

"A Winter Storm Fueled by Global Warming Tests U.S. Disaster Response" by @kiley.bsky.social, @bberwyn.bsky.social, @keertigopal.bsky.social, Lee Hedgepeth & Lisa Sorg for @insideclimatenews.org: insideclimatenews.org/news/2601202...

insideclimatenews.orgA Winter Storm Fueled by Global Warming Tests U.S. Disaster Response - Inside Climate NewsA sprawling winter storm that left hundreds of thousands without power, grounded thousands of flights and disrupted travel across the eastern half of the U.S. could be the first real test of the secon...
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

The money set aside to remediate abandoned mine lands is a “drop in the bucket” compared to the federal budget. But it’s a lifeline for coal country communities dealing with the aftermath of decades of mining. insideclimatenews.org/news/1301202...

insideclimatenews.orgCoal Communities Accuse Congress of Breaking Its Promise to Clean Up Abandoned Mine Lands - Inside Climate NewsThe House passed a bill last week that would “repurpose” $500 million meant for cleaning up environmental and safety hazards caused by decades of coal mining.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

For the past year, I've been working on an investigation into Pennsylvania's oil and gas waste--a toxic and often radioactive byproduct of the state's fracking industry. How much of it is produced every year? Where does it end up? What's in it? And what happens when regulators lose track of it?

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Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

For the past year, I've been working on an investigation into Pennsylvania's oil and gas waste--a toxic and often radioactive byproduct of the state's fracking industry. How much of it is produced every year? Where does it end up? What's in it? And what happens when regulators lose track of it?

View full thread
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

Though the state had promised it would begin testing leachate for radium in 2021, we found that it never implemented this policy. At the same time, new research shows that fracking wastewater from PA is far more radioactive than was previously known: insideclimatenews.org/news/2012202...

insideclimatenews.orgTwenty Years Into Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet to Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste - Inside Climate NewsFormer government officials say the state isn’t doing enough to regulate fracking waste, even as new research shows it’s far more radioactive than previously known.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

For years, scientists and advocates have worried that fracking waste is getting into the environment in PA. A closer look at the waterways near landfills that accept this waste revealed a mixture of harmful contaminants: insideclimatenews.org/news/2112202...

insideclimatenews.orgThe ‘Toxic Cocktail’ Brewing in Pennsylvania’s Waterways - Inside Climate NewsPennsylvania is still cleaning up decades’ worth of coal mining pollution. Now it must also contend with millions of tons of fracking waste, some of it radioactive.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

For the past year, I've been working on an investigation into Pennsylvania's oil and gas waste--a toxic and often radioactive byproduct of the state's fracking industry. How much of it is produced every year? Where does it end up? What's in it? And what happens when regulators lose track of it?

Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

In analyzing state records for this waste, @peteraldhous.com and I found huge discrepancies, errors and a lot of troubling questions about oversight. Almost 1.4 million tons of waste was unaccounted for: insideclimatenews.org/news/1912202...

insideclimatenews.orgTracking Oil and Gas Waste in Pennsylvania Is Still a ‘Logistical Mess’ - Inside Climate NewsMore than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.

Kiley Bense reposted

Peter Aldhous
@peteraldhous.com

Here's @kiley.bsky.social talking to editor @jsmithhopkins.bsky.social about our @insideclimatenews.org reporting on oil and gas waste going to landfills in Pennsylvania insideclimatenews.org/news/2112202...

insideclimatenews.orgA Messy Trail of Toxic Oil and Gas Waste - Inside Climate NewsGo behind the scenes with managing editor Jamie Smith Hopkins and reporter Kiley Bense as they discuss how Pennsylvania is failing to track toxic oil and gas waste, while the amount sitting in landfil...

Kiley Bense reposted

PA Environment Digest, By David E. Hess, Former PA DEP Secretary
@paenvironmentnews.bsky.social

Inside Climate News Video: Reporter Kiley Bense Talks About Her 3 Part Series On Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Waste [Video] tinyurl.com/45wmjfm4

tinyurl.comA Messy Trail of Toxic Oil and Gas Waste - Inside Climate NewsGo behind the scenes with managing editor Jamie Smith Hopkins and reporter Kiley Bense as they discuss how Pennsylvania is failing to track toxic oil and gas waste, while the amount sitting in landfil...

Kiley Bense reposted

Prof. Bob Howarth
@profbobhowarth.bsky.social

LNG exports from US up 22% over a year ago, when US was already largest exporter in the world. This is a significant cause of energy inflation costs in US. insideclimatenews.org/news/17122025/liquefied-natural-gas-exports-driving-up-energy-bills/?utm_source=InsideClimate+News&utm_campaign=8b44c2acfb

insideclimatenews.orgGas Exports Are Driving Up Americans’ Energy Bills, Report Says - Inside Climate NewsHigher exports of liquefied natural gas in 2025 played a significant role in rising utility bills, an analysis of federal data found.

Kiley Bense reposted

Peter Aldhous
@peteraldhous.com

NEW from @kiley.bsky.social and I for @insideclimatenews.org: Twenty Years Into Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet to Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste insideclimatenews.org/news/2012202...

insideclimatenews.orgTwenty Years Into Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet to Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste - Inside Climate NewsFormer government officials say the state isn’t doing enough to regulate fracking waste, even as new research shows it’s far more radioactive than previously known.

Kiley Bense reposted

John Quigley
@johnhquigley.bsky.social

I'm quoted in this second installment of an important 3-part @insideclimatenews.org series by @kiley.bsky.social and @peteraldhous.com. @kleinmanenergy.bsky.social insideclimatenews.org/news/2012202...

insideclimatenews.orgTwenty Years Into Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet to Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste - Inside Climate NewsFormer government officials say the state isn’t doing enough to regulate fracking waste, even as new research shows it’s far more radioactive than previously known.

Kiley Bense reposted

Peter Aldhous
@peteraldhous.com

NEW @insideclimatenews.org from @kiley.bsky.social and I: Tracking Oil and Gas Waste in Pennsylvania Is Still a ‘Logistical Mess’ insideclimatenews.org/news/1912202...

insideclimatenews.orgTracking Oil and Gas Waste in Pennsylvania Is Still a ‘Logistical Mess’ - Inside Climate NewsMore than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

A new investigation into PA’s tracking of toxic and often radioactive oil and gas waste revealed huge discrepancies in the records. (With @peteraldhous.com) insideclimatenews.org/news/1912202...

insideclimatenews.orgTracking Oil and Gas Waste in Pennsylvania Is Still a ‘Logistical Mess’ - Inside Climate NewsMore than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.

Kiley Bense reposted

Justin Gerdes
@justingerdes.bsky.social

"The analysis, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, found that Americans paid $12 billion more for natural gas between January and September 2025 than they did over the same period last year." insideclimatenews.org/news/1712202... via @kiley.bsky.social 🔌💡

insideclimatenews.orgGas Exports Are Driving Up Americans’ Energy Bills, Report Says - Inside Climate NewsHigher exports of liquefied natural gas in 2025 played a significant role in rising utility bills, an analysis of federal data found.

Kiley Bense reposted

Peter Aldhous
@peteraldhous.com

NEW from me w/ Aidan Hughes @kiley.bsky.social for @insideclimatenews.org: The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated insideclimatenews.org/news/1010202...

insideclimatenews.orgThe Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated - Inside Climate NewsJust days after announcing sweeping cuts to clean energy programs across the country, the Trump administration appears to be upping the ante—potentially clawing back billions more in federal funding. ...
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social

The results of a new study on how fracking can contaminate drinking water found that 71 percent of tested wells contained methane. Two registered “explosive levels of methane.” insideclimatenews.org/news/0710202...

insideclimatenews.orgScientists Find Evidence that a Pennsylvania Town’s Water Was Contaminated by Fracking - Inside Climate NewsThree years after noticing discoloration and odors in their wells, residents in New Freeport are still fighting for clean water.

Kiley Bense reposted

Antonia Juhasz
@antoniajuhasz.bsky.social

Fracking’s Broken Promise to Pennsylvania. #Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse. @kiley.bsky.social @dangearino.bsky.social insideclimatenews.org/news/2109202...

insideclimatenews.orgFracking’s Broken Promise to Pennsylvania - Inside Climate NewsFracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.

Kiley Bense reposted

Hilary Lewis
@hilarylewis.bsky.social

EPA is using an unusual loophole to delay iron and steel industry safeguards. “It’s a fake emergency. It’s just an excuse to push back the deadlines because industry doesn’t want to comply," said Jim Pew, an attorney at @earthjustice.org. by @kiley.bsky.social via @insideclimatenews.org

insideclimatenews.orgResidents Living in the Shadow of the Steel Industry Ask the EPA to Reconsider Delay of Hazardous Air Pollution Rule - Inside Climate NewsIn July the agency delayed the implementation of stronger emissions standards and fenceline monitoring at steel and iron facilities for two more years.