Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week published a proposed rule  to eliminate greenhouse gas reporting requirements for most of the sources subject to them.    For one source category – petroleum and natural gas delivery systems – the proposed rule would suspend greenhouse gas reporting requirements until 2034.    Little bit of background: EPA began requiring certain stationary sources to determine and report their greenhouse gas emissions in 2009.  According to the rule proposed on Sept. 16, there are currently 47 source categories (other than petroleum and natural gas delivery systems) that have greenhouse gas reporting obligations.    However (and other than for petroleum and natural gas delivery systems), EPA has determined there is no statutory basis in the Clean Air Act (or elsewhere) to require sources to report their greenhouse gas emissions, which is the reason EPA is proposing to eliminate reporting requirement for those source categories.    Abysmal news for sure, but: It also bears mentioning that we are not aware of any source (at least in western Pennsylvania) that is subject to limits on its emissions of greenhouse gases.   That’s not so with Sources in the petroleum and natural gas delivery systems category. Here’s why: Section 136 of the Clean Air Act does  specifically require those sources to  report their greenhouse gas emissions for the purpose of calculating a waste emissions charge on methane emissions imposed by that section. We wrote about that last year , if you need a little more details on that one.   However, the One Big Beautiful Act, amended section 136 so the waste emissions charge will not be collected until 2034. Accordingly, EPA determined there is currently no statutory purpose to be served by requiring sources in that category to report their greenhouse gas emissions and suspended their greenhouse gas reporting obligation until 2034, when EPA should begin collecting the waste emission” charge pursuant to section 136.   The kicker?   EPA estimates that between now and 2034, the elimination (and suspension) of the greenhouse gas reporting requirement will save the entities that are subject to it a little less than $302.7 million per year in compliance costs.    “The proposed rule did not attempt to calculate the value of any losses that might be suffered as a result of the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions reports, nor did it identify how those reports are used to further the purposes spelled out in the Clean Air Act,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. Our Executive Director Patrick Campbell called this latest proposed rule “just another in a series of moves to systemically dismantle environmental regulations created to protect public for corporate convenience.”   EPA is accepting comments on the proposed rule through Nov. 3 and will hold a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule on Oct. 1.  You can submit comments at www.regulations.gov , identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0186.   Editor’s Note: Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing more guidance on how

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Friday released new details related to air quality monitoring in the wake of the deadly exposion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works last month. Here's what ACHD released as a press release: The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has monitoring results from Mobile Air Units provided by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that were stationed in the Mon Valley shortly after the Clairton Coke Works explosion in August. No immediate health risks were measured by any of the instruments including DEP and CMU's mobile monitoring or ACHD's stationary monitoring. DEP monitoring equipment in the area showed short-term exposure limits did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. CMU data is still undergoing final processing and quality assurance checks from its mobile monitoring of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and black carbon on August 15, 2025. Preliminary results showed no specific "hot spots" tied to the explosion and were generally consistent with data from ACHD's regulatory monitoring network. CMU will submit the finalized data to ACHD, and ACHD will review and post the information on its website. As part of broader efforts to understand pollutant levels near the Clairton Coke Works, ACHD and its partners detected compounds, including hydrocarbons and air toxics known to be associated with coke production. These compounds have been observed previously through fence line and permanent monitors and are included in the annual emissions inventories for the Clairton facility. DEP did measure concentrations of air toxics such as formaldehyde, ethyl benzene, and xylene at the fence line, but those concentrations were only observed for a brief time period and were mostly undetectable throughout most of the testing periods. These findings could indicate health risks, but ACHD is continuing to evaluate the DEP report and other data to determine if there are any potential issues. ACHD will provide additional updates as more information becomes available. Editor's Note: GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted as new details become available.

Just a quick appreciation post: The gang at GASP wants to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who attended our recent Walk and Talk at Fall Run Park, a hidden gem just a few minutes from the city.  We had a wonderful stroll through the park and even better discussion about the many overlapping issues of water and air quality through the lens of summer ecology. Fall Run Park, with its stunning waterfall and (usually) meandering stream, provided the perfect backdrop for this discussion. Thank you again for joining us. We hope you left with a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of our air and water, and a renewed sense of purpose in protecting these vital resources. Stay tuned for more events and opportunities to get involved with GASP and our wonderful partners at Three Rivers Waterkeeper.