Group Against Smog & Pollution

Bad news to report today, friends. Here’s what’s going on: As you may recall, back in July, we blogged about the EPA’s   proposal to postpone compliance deadlines  in the revised National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities (the II&S NESHAPs), including U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock.  GASP also   spoke out against  the proposed postponement in September. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, EPA

Friends, we’re not gonna lie: We are absolutely abuzz over here in the GASP office! Why? Because you all showed up for us BIG on Giving Tuesday and we wanted to send out the loudest, most heartfelt THANK YOU to every single person who threw down a donation for clean air. While we're still tallying the final numbers, we can tell you something pretty amazing: We completely blew past our $1,500 goal!   Seriously, yinz are incredible! This outpouring of support reminds us of how

Trump’s EPA on Dec. 1 announced that it is taking final action on the agency's July 2025 Interim Final Rule to extend several compliance deadlines in the Biden-Harris Administration's Clean Air Act rules for the oil and gas industry – commonly known as OOOOb/c.  As we blogged back in August , the standards in Part OOOOb are New Source Performance Standards made under the authority of Section 111(b) of the Clean Air Act. The standards outlined in Part OOOOc apply to existing s

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that celebrates radical generosity. If you've been meaning to support the fight for a healthier Pittsburgh, now is the perfect moment.  Because we’ve got a truth bomb for you: Pittsburgh is one of the most beautiful and resilient cities in the country, but (and it’s a big but) the air quality challenges—especially in places like the Mon Valley—are still a serious daily reality.  When you wake up to that rotten-egg smell (Hydrogen Sulfide or

We find ourselves somewhat surprised to report that the federal government’s struggle against its own revised National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for coke ovens continues.  Quick background: The EPA promulgated the Revised Coke Oven NESHAPs in 2024.  Among other things, they required that coke oven operators monitor for benzene at their fencelines; imposed new limits on emissions of hazardous air pollutants from coke oven pushing, quenching, and battery s

The EPA on Nov. 20 published a   proposed rule  that would redesignate Allegheny County from “nonattainment” of the 2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particulate matter (the “2012 NAAQS for PM2.5”) to “attainment.”   EPA’s proposed rule is based on monitored air quality data that shows that all areas of the county attained the 2012 NAAQS for PM2.5 during the years 2018, 2019, and 2020.  The proposed rule also discusses more recent monitored air quality data,

The Board of Health on Wednesday approved revisions to Allegheny County Health Department’s portion of Pennsylvania’s State Implementation Plan (SIP). What is a SIP? Here’s how ACHD explains its website: When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) or revises an existing standard, it sets in motion a series of actions aimed at ensuring that air quality throughout the country meets those standards. State Im

Allegheny County Council on Tuesday approved air quality permit fee increases long sought by the Allegheny County Health Department.

At long last, Allegheny County Council is poised to vote Nov. 18 on a long sought (and direly needed) air quality permit fee schedule that would fully fund the Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program. The news comes in the wake of Council’s Health and Human Services Committee meeting on Wednesday, when members recommended ACHD’s proposal be placed on the Nov. 18 agenda for a full vote. GASP will again be there to urge council to vote YES on ACHD’s original pr