Board of Health Greenlights SIP Revision, Sets 2026 Meeting Dates

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 Implementation Plans (SIPs) are plans put together by states to help them meet the new or revised NAAQS.

The EPA designates areas as meeting ("attainment") or not meeting ("non-attainment") the new NAAQS. If an area meets attainment, states are required to develop a general plan to maintain the NAAQS. If an area is classified as non-attainment, states must formulate a specific plan to meet the new NAAQS. These plans are known as SIPs and are developed by state and local air quality management agencies and submitted to EPA for approval. Find more information about SIPs.

In this case, the updated coke oven regulations promulgated by EPA necessitated these revisions.

An ACHD representative noted that the revisions were needed to align the SIP with requirements set forth in a 2024 consent decree reached between U.S. Steel, environmental organizations and the health department that lowered the limit on sulfur dioxide emissions from the battery stacks at Clairton Coke Works from 35 grains per dry standard cubic foot to 25 grains per dry standard cubic foot.

The revision also corrected the number of coke oven batteries operating at Clairton Coke Works. As a result of that consent decree, U.S. Steel permanently shut down its oldest battery, number 15.

In other business, the Board of Health also approved its 2026 meeting schedule:

●      12:30 p.m. Jan 14 in the Gold Room

●      12:30 p.m. March 18 at the Food Bank (further details TBA)

●      5:30 p.m. May 13 in the Gold Room

●      12:30 p.m. July 15 in the Gold Room

●      5:30 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Gold Room

●      12:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Gold Room