Group Against Smog & Pollution

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