Group Against Smog & Pollution

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with local families and environmental advocates, the   Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP)  on Monday attended a public hearing to challenge the installation permit for the EQT Leto Well Pad and Dehydrator in West Deer Township. GASP joined our partners at   Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD) , a dedicated group of neighbors who have spent years fighting to protect their community from heavy industrial shale gas operations in residentia

An enforcement action by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) serves as a stark reminder that public health regulations aren't optional—even for state agencies. Here’s what happened: During a routine inspection in April 2025, ACHD representatives visited the I-376 Bridge over Boyce Road and determined that while the site already held a permit for sandblasting structural steel, crews were also performing unpermitted abrasive blasting on rusted rebar for concrete repai

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has issued a $7,140 civil penalty against NCP Carbon for repeated air quality violations and failure to report equipment breakdowns in 2025. Located in Jefferson Hills, the facility specializes in carbon products, including carbon raiser, injection carbon, and metallurgic coke. According to a March 9 ACHD enforcement order, between June and October 2025, department representatives documented several instances of excess emissions o

The Avonworth School District and one of its contractors are facing a $5,850 fine for asbestos abatement-related violations stemming from a 2025 roof replacement project at the high school.   According to a March 9, 2026, enforcement order issued by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and obtained by GASP through a public records request, the district and Triangle Roofing Corp. failed to provide the required asbestos survey prior to renovations at Avonworth High Sch

Remember that breakdown at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works this past January - the one that prompted the Allegheny County Health Department to issue this public statement? Because a GASP public records request has revealed new information: That the breakdown resulted in a demand for $10,000 in stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel. Why? Because of provision in a high-profile 2021 consent decre e  reached between the company, our friends at PennEnvironment, and the Alleghen

Ethylene oxide is a cancer-causing hazardous air pollutant that is used to sterilize medical products, among other things – we’ve blogged about ethylene oxide pollution several times .    Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has moved the sticks on regulating ethylene oxide pollution yet again , it’s time for another update.   EPA on March 17 published a proposed rule and reconsideration of its April 5, 2024 Final Rule that revised the National Emission Stan

Some abysmal news to share: As of this week, the Mon Valley has experienced 34 hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) exceedances so far in 2026.  To put that into perspective, during this same period last year, we were looking at just 14.  For the uninitiated: Hydrogen sulfide is an air pollutant with an unmistakable rotten egg odor that all-too-often blankets the Mon Valley.  While the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) tracks it, the health and quality-of-life impacts are more tha

Last July, we blogged  about a proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke its 2009 finding that greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles in the United States endangered the public health and welfare by contributing to the global warming crisis.   Known as the 2009 Endangerment Finding, it was the predicate for EPA’s increasingly stringent regulation of new motor vehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions, by which EPA intended to force the electrific

The Aug. 11, 2025 explosion at the Clairton Coke Works killed two, injured a dozen more, and rocked an entire community. In its wake was special air quality monitoring , a Chemical Safety Board investigation , and, most recently, a $118,000 fine from OSHA.   Then came the biggest news yet: A pair of wrongful death suits had been filed against U.S. Steel and two other companies.   While GASP is not affiliated with the cases and has no special knowledge of them, staff reviewed

Last June, we blogged about EPA’s proposal to repeal revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs).    Those revisions were made in May 2024.   Here’s an update, which should not come as a surprise: on Feb. 24, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule that did in fact repeal the May 2024 NESHAPs for coal-fired EGUs , on the same bases that were proposed when we last

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published notice of its intent to issue a Plan Approval to Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC for modifications to the company’s ethane cracker in Monaca, Beaver County - with plans for a public hearing April 7. Specifically, the Plan Approval would: authorize Shell to modify flares that it uses to control air pollution at the Facility, as required by new federal regulations authorize Shell to install new equipment in t

If you live, work, or play in or around the Mon Valley, we probably don’t need to tell you just how bad air quality has been over the past week or so. The Smell Pittsburgh app lit up with reports from or neighbors detailing everything from the way their community stunk (some described it as rotten eggs, while others deemed it industrial or chemical in nature) to the physical symptoms they experienced (sore throat, breathing difficulties, insomnia). That distinct, nauseating

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. Air Quality Violations Lead to $46K Fine for Synthomer Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) issued a more than $46,000 civil penalty against West Elizabeth-based Synthomer - a Title V facility that produces syn

A couple of weeks ago we blogged  about the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency’s revision of the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for natural gas-fired combustion turbines. In that blog, we noted EPA’s decision not to quantify human health benefits  that might accrue from reductions in such turbines’ emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and fine particulate matter PM2.5”) under the new standards as part of the cost-benefit analysis that it performed for the standar

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined U.S. Steel $118,000 for safety violations stemming from the deadly August explosion at the Clairton Coke Works. OSHA documents show that the company was cited 10 times - nine of those were related to subpar safety procedures and employee training, and one was for failing to provide the agency with required reports as required. The fines were first reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review . Additionally,

Trump’s EPA on Thursday announced the revocation of what’s known as the 2009 Endangerment Finding - one that resulted in greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines.   The Endangerment Finding is the legal prerequisite EPA used to regulate emissions from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. Without the Endangerment Finding, the EPA would not have legal authority under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to set standards for greenhou

Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager GASP amanda@gasp-pgh.org         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         GASP Community Air Monitoring Project Finds High Levels of Benzene in Local Communities   The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is thrilled to announce the publication of its first semi-annual report detailing findings from its Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project . This landmark initiative provides a new level of transparency regarding air q

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. Longstanding emissions and maintenance issues led to Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to issue more than $276,000 in fines against Braddock-based Magnus Products. Little bit of background: Magnus Products o

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. New documents uploaded this week to the Allegheny County Health Department’s website show that U.S. Steel was issued more than $359,000 in stipulated penalties for air quality violations that occurred at its Clairto

There’s been yet another equipment breakdown at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced in a press release Thursday. Here’s what the release said: According to the release, ACHD received a call from U.S. Steel regarding a breakdown of pollution control equipment at Clairton Coke Works. A breakdown happens when equipment isn't working properly and releases more pollution than normal. This can happen when equipment fail

At GASP, we’ve long believed our strength lies in the people who help us fight for cleaner air in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, we are absolutely THRILLED to introduce two incredible new additions to our Board of Directors: Dr. Rachel Wojcik  and Dr. Nesta Bortey-Sam . Additionally, two board members – Kate St. John and Marla Ferency – were re-elected. “Both Rachel and Nesta bring a wealth of scientific and medical expertise that will be invaluable as we continue to push