FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2026
State Rep. Tarah Probst is officially calling out the federal government and state agencies for trying to take a “permitting shortcut” on the I-80 expansion project, a move she says ignores the deep environmental and historical roots of Monroe County.
At the center of the fight is the issuance of a FONSI, or “Finding Of No Significant Impact” document. Probst says it’s a flat-out lie and a dereliction of duty, given the recent discovery of 7,000-year-old Native American artifacts, HQ/EV wetlands, Bald Eagle nests, and a Revolutionary War fort and battlefield in the project’s path.
What are these documents?
The “FONSI” (Finding of No Significant Impact): This is the government’s way of saying “Nothing to see here,” skip a deep investigation, and move straight to the construction.
The “EIS” (Environmental Impact Statement): This “Gold Standard” of reviews forces the government to stop, listen to the community, and actually study the damage a project will do to the history, water, and safety before a single shovel hits the dirt.
“They’re claiming it’s a "FONSI " to make it sound like no big deal, but you can’t tell me that bulldozing over a 1700s colonial fort site, EV wetlands, and 7,000-year-old indigenous tools has ‘no significant impact.’ We need an EIS to get the full story,” Rep. Probst said, adding that having concerns of these magnitudes uncovered by amateurs when multiple state and federal agencies are responsible for managing the project is “embarrassing.”
Probst explained that the I-80 project will disturb fresh ground, requiring an EIS; the only way to get an honest count of the environmental damage before permits are finalized.
Why an EIS is needed now:
PennDOT reports on 7,000-year-old Native American findings are heavily redacted. An EIS would force that information into the light. Government agencies also missed EV/HQ wetlands, at least one active Bald Eagle nest and three historic sites: Benjamin Franklin’s Fort Hamilton, an adjacent ice mill, and the site of the 1894 lynching of Richard Puryear. These overlooked community sites deserve thorough investigations, Probst said, adding, “If 3.5 miles costs $1B dollars, something’s wrong.”
“I’m demanding the feds and PennDOT throw out this invalid, phony ‘FONSI’ and do the work of a real Environmental Impact Statement,” Probst said. “The community and 2500 plus signers of our petition to scale back this project deserve better.”
Contact: Office of Rep. Tarah Probst | Jsmith@pahouse.net | 570-420-2850