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Blog Against Smog

Jul 6, 2020

Swissvale Glass Company Appeals Health Department Determination Regarding Emissions Standards Compli

Kopp Glass Inc. on July 1 appealed an Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) determination that one of its pot furnaces is subject to National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for glass manufacturing area sources. Formerly known as Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass and Glass Company, Kopp Glass is permitted as a minor source (which excludes the requirement of raw material information) and has two baghouses for material handling and the painting-finishing booth. The 10

Jun 19, 2020

Brown Plume from Edgar Thomson Plant Prompts Questions & Complaints, ACHD Response

A reddish-brown plume emanating from U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant Wednesday evening prompted questions and complaints from nearby residents and clean air groups. Video on the Breathe Project’s Breathe Cam captured video of the emissions, which spewed from one of the plant’s stacks around 6:43 p.m. June 17. GASP was among those who reported the incident to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and reached out to U.S. Steel via social media to ask what had happened.

Jun 1, 2020

Allegheny County Health Department Issues Enforcement Orders Over Asbestos Abatement, Dust Mitigatio

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on June 4 to clarify that the dust complaint against Heights Plaza Materials, Springhill Road LLC and ABC occurred in February 2020. The originally published version included an incorrect date. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) last week issued two Enforcement Orders, one dealing with asbestos abatement and the other regarding dust mitigation. Here’s what you need to know: ACHD on May 26 issued an enforcement order to Pittsbur

May 28, 2020

Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Announces $361K in Fines Against U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in a press release Thursday announced that it has issued $361,400 worth of stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel for Article XXI Air Pollution Control violations and permit violations that occurred at the Clairton Coke Works during the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. Pursuant to the Department’s agreement that was reached with U.S. Steel in June of 2019, ninety percent (90 percent) of penalties ($325,260) w

May 28, 2020

Get On Your Bikes And Ride for Better Air Quality

Cutting your car dependence will do more than just save you some cash on gas: Bike riding is also far better for local air quality (not to mention all the health benefits). Bikes are 10 times more carbon efficient than cars, but that’s not all. Check out some these stats that explain how far national emissions could fall if more people opted to ride on two wheels to work: #airquality #CleanAirMonth #emissions

May 27, 2020

GASP Congratulates CREATE Lab & Yen-Chia Hsu, for Smoke Hunting Tool Release

CREATE Lab’s Yen-Chia Hsu trains volunteers to label smoke at GASP HQ. Congratulations are in order for Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab and project leader Yen-Chia Hsu on the successful launch of its smoke reading tool – one that can label industrial emissions. The project involved months of work – six setting up the infrastructure and 12 more working with volunteers to refine the system and label videos depicting industrial emissions in an effort to train an artifici

May 13, 2020

Surprising Sources of Air Pollution: 6 Ways Animal Farms Contribute to Poor Air Quality

While billowing smoke emanating from industrial complexes and trucks belching diesel emissions might be what people most closely associate with air pollution, they certainly aren’t the only culprits. Since it’s Clean Air Month, we wanted to put the spotlight on some sources of air pollution that might surprise you. Today, we want to focus on the impact of agricultural operations like corporate animal farms on air quality and fill you in on these six quick facts about the prob

May 4, 2020

Watchdog Report: Has U.S. Steel Kept the Promises It Made in Latest Settlement Agreement with ACHD?

Editor’s Note: A U.S. Steel representative on May 13 provided an update to the Allegheny County Board of Health during the public comment portion of its meeting. His comments, which were submitted and read into the record instead of presented live because of COVID-19 restrictions, indicated that all of the upgrades specified in the agreement with ACHD have been met. The representative also indicated that the company was on target to meet upcoming deadlines. A lot has happened

Apr 30, 2020

GASP Continues Air Quality Advocacy, But We Need Your Help to Keep Up the Fight

Dear Fellow Breathers, While so much in our world and our daily lives have changed over the last few weeks, your friends here at the Group Against Smog and Pollution want you to know that one thing remains the same: Our commitment to ensuring people in western Pennsylvania can breathe easy. Our diligent staff continues to work (from home, right now, like so many others) on pressing air quality issues that impact the health and welfare of our local communities and the resident

Apr 23, 2020

Watchdog Report: GASP Weighs in on PA’s Proposed Infrastructure SIP

GASP on April 20 submitted comments regarding Pennsylvania’s proposed “Infrastructure SIP” for the eight-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) that was promulgated in 2015. For those who might be unfamiliar, in this case “SIP” stands for “State Implementation Plan.” By way of background: Section 110 of the Clean Air Act requires the states to submit infrastructure SIPs to demonstrate that they have the legal and bureaucratic infrastructure adequate to imple

Apr 8, 2020

GASP Praises Council for Introduction of Clean Construction Legislation, Touts Air Quality Benefits

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) strongly supports Allegheny County Council for introducing long-sought clean construction legislation on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. “We commend Councilwoman Anita Prizio for her leadership on this issue and for both her and Councilwoman Olivia Bennett for their sponsoring this important legislation,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “We know that diesel particulate matter poses one of the greatest cancer risks from any to

Mar 10, 2020

Watchdog Report: ACHD Issues Notices of Violation, Fines Over Asbestos, Emissions Violations

The following is a summary of some of the lesser-known enforcement actions ACHD has taken so far in 2020: Notice of Violation Letter Issued to BRP4 LLC, Level Line Building ACHD on Feb. 12 issued a Notice of Violation letter to Wexford-based limited liability company BRP4 LLC for asbestos abatement violations stemming from the April 15, 2019 demolition of a commercial building in Wilkins Township. According to the notice, BRB4 LLC failed to submit to ACHD an asbestos abatemen

Feb 13, 2020

What You Need to Know About the Community Trust Established by the U.S. Steel, ACHD Settlement

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Monday made public its finalized settlement agreement with U.S. Steel, giving residents the first look at details of an associated $2.46 million community trust. The nine-page document, dated Jan. 30, clarifies several details related to the trust, the communities it benefits, who will serve on a board overseeing it, and how meetings will be conducted and projects selected for funding. GASP in July submitted formal comments reg

Jan 21, 2020

Consent Order Between Allegheny Co. Health Dept., Harsco & ATI Calls for Enclosed Building, Fine

A Natrona-based slag processor will pay a more than $107,000 civil penalty and construct a new building to enclose processing thanks to a consent order and agreement with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The agreement between the department, Harsco Corporation, and ATI Flat Rolled Products was finalized Jan. 7 and addresses ongoing complaints from residents of nearby Opal Court who said that fugitive dust from the slag processing facility could be found on their

Jan 17, 2020

UPDATED: ACHD Announces More Than $743K in New Fines Against U.S. Steel

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced in a press release Friday that it has issued fines against U.S. Steel for Article XXI Air Pollution Control violations and permit violations. The violations occurred at the Clairton Coke Works during the second and third quarters of 2019. ACHD has assessed $743,625 in stipulated penalties. Ninety percent (90 percent) of penalties ($669,262.50) will be paid to the Community Benefit Trust for impacted communities while the

Jan 14, 2020

Watchdog Report: SAB Reports Show EPA Has Little Regard for Science, Transparency

The EPA used New Year’s Eve as an odd (and perhaps intentional) date to publish four reports by its Chartered Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), three of which were strongly critical of the administration’s grasp on established science. You can read more about those reports in a story by the Washington Post here and another in the New York Times here – and we recommend (and hope) that you do. We also hope that you read the draft SAB letters (you can check them out online here).

Jan 10, 2020

GASP Joins Enviro Groups, Residents to Demand ACHD Action on Coke Oven Regs, Ongoing Emissions

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) joined environmental groups and droves of residents Friday to send a clear message to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) that it needs to take action to strengthen coke oven regulations and take steps to hold U.S. Steel and other polluters accountable when industrial emissions and weather events such as inversions combine, tanking local air quality. About 100 people attended the rally held at the Pittsburgh City-County Bu

Jan 3, 2020

Judge Grants Class Certification in Federal Lawsuit Pitting Investors Against U.S. Steel Over Stock

A federal judge on Tuesday granted class-certification to a group of U.S. Steel investors who filed a class-action lawsuit against the company in 2017 over alleged violations of federal securities laws. In the suit filed in U.S. District of Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the investors claimed the company’s top brass misled investors about the company’s financial well-being, which led to declining stock prices. According to the Dec. 31 order from U.S. District

Jan 2, 2020

UPDATED: Allegheny County Health Department Announces Efforts to Combat Weather-Related Air Pollutio

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in a press release Thursday announced plans to combat weather-related air pollution events that threaten the health and well-being of local residents. The announcement comes after GASP, residents, and fellow environmental groups last week demanded action from the department following a weather inversion and days of associated poor air quality that prompted state officials to issue Air Quality Action Days and ACHD to send warnings

Dec 19, 2019

Your Year-End Charitable Donation to GASP Will Help Fund 2020 Air Quality Advocacy, Education &

Dear Fellow Breather, We’re nearing the end of a banner year here at the Group Against Smog and Pollution. We celebrated our golden anniversary and, while we don’t generally boast, we have to admit GASP makes 50 look good. There was no midlife crisis here. We spent our 50th doing what we’ve always done best: Advocating for policy changes that help improve air quality, educating folks (young and old) about the impacts of air pollution, and acting as a legal watchdog to both in

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