Editor's Note: GASP on Monday issued the following as a press release:
The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) on Monday formally petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to object to a Title V Operating Permit for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works.
The permit was issued on Nov. 21 by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD).
Under Title V of the Clean Air Act, each major source of air pollution must apply for an operating permit that incorporates all of the emission limits and operating restrictions to which it is subject, as well as testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements that are sufficient to assure compliance.
A Title V Operating Permit for a source that is not in compliance with its Clean Air Act requirements must include a schedule of measures that the source must implement in order to achieve compliance.
“Although the Clairton Coke Works is not in compliance with all of its operating and emission limits, its newly issued Title V Permit does not include a schedule capable of getting it into compliance,” GASP’s Senior Attorney John Baillie said. “The closest thing to such a schedule in the permit is a reference to a Settlement Agreement from 2019.”
He continued:
“However, U.S. Steel has already implemented the measures required by that settlement and has still failed to achieve compliance. We hope that EPA will agree with GASP that U.S. Steel must come up with new measures capable of getting the Clairton Coke Works into compliance because the last set of measures has not worked.”