Resident’s Guide to Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Network Monitoring Plan (AND How to Weigh In)

Did you know that every year, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) must publish an air quality network monitoring plan providing a detailed description of how - and where - air pollution is monitored in Allegheny County?

It’s true! The annual Air Network Monitoring plan is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and details the specific location of each monitoring station, as well as the department’s monitoring methods, monitoring objectives, frequency of sampling, pollutants measured, and any planned changes to the network.

And right now, ACHD is seeking public comment on its 2026 Air Quality Network Monitoring Plan through 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 so your friendly neighborhood air quality watchdogs at GASP wanted to provide a breakdown of what’s new and notable in the report and how (and why) you should consider submitting weighing in on the proposed changes.

Where Does ACHD Monitor Air Quality & Why?

ACHD operates nine monitoring sites to meet its core objectives under Article 21 for all monitoring networks across the county. There are three core objectives:

#1. Provide air pollution data to the general public in a timely manner

#2. Support compliance with ambient air quality standards and emissions strategy development and

#3. Support for air pollution research studies

The monitoring site locations are established to meet certain objectives. Case in point: There is a site along the Parkway East set up expressly to monitor pollutants from mobile sources. 

Many sites now monitor continuously as technology and internet connectivity have advanced, but not all pollutants can be monitored in real-time.

Air Quality Monitoring Changes Proposed for 2026 

In the plan, ACHD detailed monitoring additions since the publication of its 2025 Air Quality Network Monitoring Plan. They include:

• Postponement of Lawrenceville Monitoring station site move due to unforeseen new construction and commercial operations in Chateau 

• Addition of continuous PM2.5 monitoring at Harrison site 

The plan also provides information on proposed changes to the air monitoring network. Spoiler: There’s some really good stuff in there! 

The proposed updates include:

• New PM2.5 monitoring site at Glassport site and the addition of continuous PM2.5 monitoring at the South Fayette site (good things!)

• Addition of meteorology (wind speed & direction) sensors at Avalon and Clairton sites (great things!)

• Addition of hydrogen sulfide monitoring at Clairton site (an amazing thing!)

• Removal of PM10 monitoring at Glassport site (ACHD explained the monitoring was redundant - we agree)

• Relocation of Lawrenceville monitoring station (NCore, PAMS, NATTS, IMPROVE, ASCENT, and CSN) to the Carnegie Mellon University campus (this is a big deal - it take a LONG time for ACHD to find a suitable site).

GASP’s Take on the Air Network Monitoring Plan

Generally - and technically - GASP has nothing but cheers for the plan. The network is expanding, new monitors are being deployed, and more pollutants are being measured. 

“We are particularly grateful for the additional hydrogen sulfide monitoring,” Campbell said. “GASP has been calling on the health department for years to do more to study and curb the Mon Valley’s H2S exceedance problem, and more robust monitoring is another step in the right direction.”

How and Why to Submit a Public Comment

GASP will be submitting formal comments in support of the plan and we will hope you will join us in weighing in on this crucial document. 

Here’s how to submit your public comments:

You can email them to ACHD’s David D. Good at David.Good@alleghenycounty.us or mail them to 301 39th Street, Building 7, Pittsburgh, PA 15201.