GASP, Residents to Allegheny Co. Council: Your Failure to Pass AQ Permit Fees Harming Public Health

Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) on Tuesday again joined residents and fellow environmental advocates to tell Allegheny County Council that its inaction on crucial permit fee schedule changes has already done real harm - and that action must be taken ASAP.

GASP has been advocating for the fee schedule changes for nearly a year. Here's what Patrick wrote to council:

Dear Members of County Council,

I am writing to express profound disappointment and frustration regarding the continued delay in approving long-sought air quality permit fee schedule changes. This inaction represents a blatant disregard for expert recommendations, the will of your constituents, and, frankly, federal law.

Let us AGAIN be clear: These permit fee increases are not punitive measures. They are a necessary adjustment to reflect the actual costs incurred by the Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program for services rendered to permitted facilities.

These are services mandated by the Clean Air Act, including air modeling, administrative oversight, and legal compliance work.

By failing to approve these adjustments, you are shirking your responsibility to ensure the program's self-sufficiency, which is mandated by the Clean Air Act. And your failure to take action has had real impacts on the Air Quality Program and its ability to protect public health.

Allegheny County administrator Kim Joyce told the Air Advisory Committee that the Air Quality Program is currently operating at a deficit, and that the only reason that deficit hasn’t ballooned further is because ACHD is not filling 12 vacant positions. To be clear: Right now, there are no new community projects or hiring on the horizon. Officials are merely trying to maintain the status quo.

Allegheny County residents deserve local governance that prioritizes responsive and responsible action. Full stop. The continued stonewalling is irresponsible and a betrayal of public trust. It’s an extremely poor look for council - one that voters will be sure to remember.

Do the right thing: Place the air quality permit fee schedule changes on the agenda for discussion before the entire council, because sending it back to the committee that already affirmatively recommended was a placeholder move at best.

We - the citizens you are here to represent - deserve better.

Editor's Note: Stay tuned, GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep yinz posted.