GASP & Climate Action Campaign Lambast EPA Rollbacks, Demand Accountability

GASP and our friends at the Climate Action Campaign hosted a press conference at Sol Patch Garden in Braddock to sound the alarm over recent EPA regulatory rollbacks and demand accountability in their wake.

GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell was flanked by Braddock resident and activist Edith Abeyta, Pittsburgh City Council Member Erika Strassburger, and registered nurse Kathryn Westman - all gave powerful comments demanding EPA uphold its mission and stop the roll backs.

Little bit of background: In the past month, EPA has announced its intent to roll back a host of environmental regulations (some of which effect U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works facilities among others), which will have an inevitable impact on the Pittsburgh region.

"Braddock has lived in the shadows of major pollution sources for more than a century, and the health and well-being of our community has suffered. There is a better way. It's time for stronger air pollution standards that protect our friends and family, the people we love," Abeyta said at the press conference.

We agree, Edith!

And here are the comments GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell shared:

Good morning. My name is Patrick Campbell, and I'm here today representing the Group Against Smog and Pollution. For decades, GASP has been on the front lines, fighting for the right to breathe clean air in our communities.

Today, I stand before you with a sense of urgency, because that fundamental right is under threat. We are witnessing a dangerous trend: The systematic rollback of crucial environmental protections by the Environmental Protection Agency.

These regulations, regulations like the Coke Oven Emissions Standards, limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and the mercury and air toxics standards all of which were crafted over years, based on sound science and public health imperatives and input, are being dismantled. These aren't just bureaucratic adjustments; these are decisions that will have real, tangible, and potentially devastating consequences for our health and our future.

Right here in Braddock, the delayed implementation of the revised National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Integrated Iron and Steel alone will allow U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works to emit greater amounts of hazardous air pollutants between now and July 3, 2027, than it otherwise would have.

Let's be clear: the air quality regulations being weakened were designed for a reason. They were put in place to limit the very pollutants that cause asthma attacks in our children, trigger heart disease in our seniors, and contribute to a host of other respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

When the EPA loosens standards on emissions from power plants or industrial facilities, it means more particulate matter in our lungs, more ozone damaging our airways, and more toxic chemicals contaminating our neighborhoods.

The human cost of this deregulation is immense. We're talking about increased emergency room visits, more missed school days, and a greater burden on our healthcare system.

For those already struggling with chronic conditions, these rollbacks are not just concerning; they are a direct threat to their quality of life - and in some cases - their very survival. We cannot, and must not, sacrifice public health for short-sighted economic gains. Full stop.

Because who bears the brunt of these rollbacks? It is our frontline neighbors. These neighbors live closest to industrial facilities, major roadways, and other sources of pollution, and have borne the greatest share of environmental burden. These rollbacks will only exacerbate that injustice.

So, what can we do? We certainly cannot afford to be silent.

We must raise our voices and demand accountability from our elected officials and from the EPA. Contact your representatives, share your stories, and let them know that clean air is not a luxury; it is a necessity, a right, and a non-negotiable foundation for healthy communities.

Thank you.