Concerned Citizens Call on County Executive to Pledge to Support and Strengthen the Local Air Quality Program
 
PRESS RELEASE |
February 20, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Rachel Filippini, W: 412-325-7382, C: 724-972-9885
Myron Arnowitt, W: 412-765-3053 ext. 203, C: 412-592-1283
Concerned Citizens Call on County Executive to Pledge to Support and Strengthen the Local Air Quality Program
(Pittsburgh) - Representatives from Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) and Clean Water Action (CWA) held a press conference today calling on County Executive Dan Onorato to pledge to keep Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program under local control. A letter was delivered to Mr. Onorato’s office specifying steps the groups believe are needed by the County Executive to ensure that a strong local air quality program remains in Allegheny County.
Speakers at the press conference included Rachel Filippini, Executive Director of GASP, Kathy Lawson, Western PA Director for Clean Water Action, Peter Wray, Sierra Club, Allegheny Chapter, and Court Gould, Executive Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh.
The groups called on the County Executive to:
1. Publicly commit to keeping the ACHD Air Quality Program under local control.
2. Ensure that the Air Quality Program has the resources it needs to properly carry out its functions of permitting, enforcement of air pollution regulations, monitoring, and planning.
3. Address the current deficits in the Air Quality Program’s salary structure and expedite filling the many staff vacancies that currently exist as a result of low salaries and low morale.
4. Conduct a search for a new Manager of the Air Quality Program to find a candidate with the qualifications and experience to match outgoing Manager, Roger Westman.
5. Ensure that qualified public health professionals are appointed to the Board of Health.
6. Hold public hearings concerning the future of the Air Quality Program so that residents will have an opportunity to have input into an issue that directly affects their health and quality of life.
“Mr. Onorato has talked about needing to balance the economy and the environment. However, while we have heard him talk at length about the need to promote the health of business, we have heard little about protecting the health of residents.” stated Kathy Lawson, Western PA Director for Clean Water Action.
Rachel Filippini, Executive Director for GASP, stressed the need not just to keep the program under local control, but to make sure they have the resources to succeed. “The staff is being asked to do more with less, all with the overarching threat of a potential dismantling of the local air quality program looming overhead. The Chief Executive should address the current deficits in the Air Quality Program’s salary structure and expedite filling the many staff vacancies that exist as a result of low salaries.”
City and County representatives echoed the calls to keep ACHD’s Air Quality Program under local control. Pittsburgh City Council member Bill Peduto stated, “Keeping a strong local air quality program is vital for Pittsburgh residents. A healthy environment is crucial to making sure we have a healthy economy. Let’s work for a local air quality program that will succeed in protecting our health, not set up for failure.”
County Council representative Vince Gastgeb stated, “It is important to keep local control of the Air Quality Program here in Allegheny County. We haven’t seen too many successful programs come from the state so far.”
Peter Wray with the Sierra Club, Allegheny Chapter stated, “For the sake of the public’s health, the year-by-year decline in the County’s commitment to improve the air quality must end, starting with the hiring of an Air Quality Program manager of Dr. Westman’s caliber.”
Groups working on public health issues in Allegheny County also expressed concern about overall investment by Allegheny County in the Health Department. Jessica Seabury, Executive Director of the Consumer Health Coalition stated, “Unfortunately, what we see happening with the Air Quality Program is a microcosm of the broader Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The ACHD does not have the resources and staffing it needs to respond to the evolving public health challenges of our community.”
###