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Blog Against Smog

Jul 22, 2019

BREAKING: DEP to Conduct Air Quality Sampling Plan Around Erie Coke

Erie coke The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Monday announced in a press release that it will conduct air quality sampling near the Erie Coke plant and throughout the Erie community to collect data to assess health risks to the general population. Specifically, DEP will be monitoring for compounds related to coke production, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. Thirteen monitors will be placed along the perimeter of the facility an

Jul 15, 2019

HECA, Community Members Rally Support for DEP’s Enforcement Actions Against Erie Coke Corp.

Photo courtesy of HECA Members of the community group Hold Erie Coke Accountable rallied alongside concerned residents Monday morning to support the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s aggressive enforcement action against Erie Coke Corp. and to “insist that they not accept a monetary payoff.” The demonstration took place outside the courthouse where lawyers for DEP and Erie Coke sparred last week over the department’s denial of the company’s air pollution o

Jul 10, 2019

Erie Coke Corp., DEP Lay Out Arguments In Advance of Environmental Hearing Board Proceeding

Attorneys for Erie Coke Corp. and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laid out their arguments for and against allowing the company to continue operating pending the outcome of its Title V permit denial appeal in legal filings this week in advance of its July 10 hearing. The most recent filings stem from Erie Coke Corp.’s July 3 Petition for Supersedeas, which, if granted, would allow the company to continue operating while legal issues related to DEP’s de

Jul 8, 2019

Erie Coke, DEP to Begin Arguments Wednesday Over Whether Company Can Continue to Operate Pending Per

Erie Coke Corp. and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will appear before Environmental Hearing Board Judge Steven C. Beckman Wednesday afternoon to begin arguments addressing the company’s ability to continue operations. DEP’s July 1 denial of Erie Coke’s air quality permit application had the effect of invalidating the company’s existing air quality permit. Erie Coke appealed that action, but to continue operations at the facility pending the outcome of that a

Jul 1, 2019

UPDATED: DEP Denies Erie Coke Operating Permit; Files For Injunction to Close Plant Following Numero

“For more than a decade, DEP has received persistent complaints from the community and has continuously cited Erie Coke for various environmental violations. DEP has given Erie Coke many opportunities to address violations and comply with state and federal laws. Our staff have participated in stakeholder meetings and have worked with the community, elected officials and the company to address issues and concerns,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Unfortunately, the freq

Jun 14, 2019

(UPDATED) PRESS RELEASE: DEP Issues Four Notice of Violation Letters to Erie Coke Corp.

Editor’s Note: The state Department of Environmental Protection issued another Notice of Violation to Erie Coke Works on June 25 for fugitive emissions. Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager Group Against Smog and Pollution amanda@gasp-pgh.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DEP Issues Four Notices of Violation to Erie Coke Corporation ERIE – So far this month, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has sent four formal Notice of Violation (NOV) letters to Eri

Jun 13, 2019

GASP Submits Comments on ACHD Air Quality Monitoring Plan, County SIP

At GASP, we take a three-fold approach to improving air quality: We educate, we advocate, and we do legal watchdog work to ensure that the regulated community—and the agencies that regulate them—are complying with the law. This week, GASP’s legal staff submitted public comments on two air quality plans of note—Allegheny County Health Department’s (ACHD) Air Monitoring Plan for 2020, as well as Allegheny County’s proposed revisions to the PM2.5 State Implementation Plan. GASP’

Jun 6, 2019

Let DEP Know You Support Fee Schedule Changes That Would Better Fund PA’s Air Quality Program

Time is running out for residents to submit comments on the Title V permit fee schedule changes proposed in April by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Comments are due June 17. Care about environmental issues and want to ensure your voice is heard, but just not sure what a Title V permit is or what all is changing about DEP’s fee schedule? We get it. And we’re here to help! About those Title V permits… Title V of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires “Major S

Apr 29, 2019

DEP Proposes Air Permit Fee Schedule Change, Public Comments Sought

Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board on April 13 published proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Air Quality Fee Schedule, which contains the fees that DEP charges to process applications for plan approvals and operating permits and to administer issued operating permits. Most significantly, the proposed amendments would: increase the fees for submitting many types of plan approvals beginning in 2020, with further increases to

Apr 3, 2019

DEP Issues Administrative Order Against Erie Coke Following Wastewater Release

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on April 1 issued an administrative order to Erie Coke Works following a spill at its facility. According to the order, an initial 300-gallon spill occurred on March 18 because of a hole developing in a storage tank. The hole was repaired the next day but a second spill on March 31 from the same tank – this time described as a “tank failure” – caused a “large volume of wastewater” to pond “in an area Northwest of the Tank bord

Mar 11, 2019

Air Quality 101: Smell Something? Say Something!

Take a deep breath. Smell something acrid or chemical? How about the odor of rotten eggs? Then report it! While the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (more commonly referred to as DEP) regulates air quality in the Keystone State, Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties do things a little differently. Instead of being regulated by DEP, air-quality issues are instead handled by local regulatory agencies. Here in Allegheny County, air quality is regulated by the Al

Feb 13, 2019

UPDATED: PA DEP’s Northwest Regional Office Issues Administrative Order to Erie Coke Corp.

Photo courtesy of the HECA website. UPDATE: Erie Coke Works on March 7 filed an appeal to DEP’s Feb. 14 order. The Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Northwest Regional office on Feb. 4 issued an administrative order to Erie Coke Corp. (ECC) demanding it take action to correct air quality violations believed to be “ongoing and continuous” during the previous 18 months. The order lists 59 regulatory violations Erie Coke committed between June 3, 2017 and Oct. 11, 2

May 16, 2018

DEP Doublespeak Allows Central PA Power Plant Operator to Avoid Reasonably Available Control Tech

The Clean Air Act authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, among other pollutants. Pursuant to section 107 of the Act, EPA designates regions that do not attain such standards as “nonattainment areas.” Ozone nonattainment areas are obligated to impose “Reasonably Available Control Technology” (RACT) requirements on stationary sources that are large emitters of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volati

Apr 20, 2018

Revised General Permits for Natural Gas Production Facilities Available for Public Comment

In February 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published revisions to “GP-5,” its existing general operating permit and plan approval for natural gas compressor stations, processing plants, and transmissions stations, as well as a proposed new general operating permit and plan approval “GP-5A” for unconventional natural gas well sites and pigging operations. General permits and plan approvals are available to categories of similar sources that

Aug 16, 2017

Improvements Needed for Southwestern PA Air Monitoring

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) each operate a network of air quality monitoring stations. Federal regulations provide a number of technical requirements covering the air quality monitors themselves and require that the monitoring networks meet three basic objectives: 1. provide air pollution data to the general public in a timely manner; 2. support compliance with ambient air qualit

Jul 19, 2017

GASP Files Notice of Intent to Sue Armstrong Cement for Air Quality Permit Violations

For Immediate Release: July 18, 2017 Contacts: John Baillie, Senior Attorney, GASP, 412-924-0604 ext. 201, john@gasp-pgh.org GASP Files Notice of Intent to Sue Armstrong Cement and Supply Corporation for Violations of Their Air Quality Permit Earlier this month, the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) provided notice that it intends to file a citizen suit under the federal Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act against Armstrong Cement & Supply, Inc., fo

Jul 12, 2017

GASP Comments on Proposed Beech Hollow Natural Gas Plant

GASP recently submitted comments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding the new Beech Hollow natural gas-fired power plant in Robinson Township, Washington County. Although the proposed facility will incorporate a great deal of the latest advances in efficiency and air pollution control technology, GASP is concerned with one pollutant in particular: the facility’s emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). For many years, Allegheny Count

Apr 26, 2017

Comments to Compressor Station Plan Approval Result in Much Lower Potential Emissions Levels

On Feb. 6, 2017 GASP submitted comments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding a draft plan approval for the Blue Moon Compressor Station in West Pike Run Township, Washington County. A plan approval is a permit to install, construct, or modify a source of air pollution. The facility’s operator applied for the draft plan approval that GASP commented on in March 2016. The draft plan approval would have authorized the installation of five com

Nov 14, 2016

A Major Air Pollution Source Permit That Has Major Problems

In October, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) issued the draft Title V Operating Permit for the ATI Allegheny Ludlum steel mill in Brackenridge. This Major Source of air pollution has never had a Title V permit in the 15 years that ACHD has had the authority to issue them. A Major Source’s Title V Operating Permit is like a snapshot that includes all emissions limits and standards to which the air pollution source is subject, as well as all operating, monitoring,

Sep 28, 2016

Almost One-Third of Major Sources of Air Pollution in Southwestern PA Do Not Have a Current Operatin

In August 2015 and May 2016, the Allegheny County Controller’s office reported on the Allegheny County Health Department’s (ACHD) compliance with regulations governing the timely issuance and renewal of operating permits for sources of air pollution in Allegheny County. The 2015 report discussed five major sources of air pollution in the county that had never been issued operating permits. The 2016 report highlighted a backlog of applications for renewals of expired operating

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