In the fight for clean air in Allegheny County, history is one of our most potent resources. The stories of those who lived through the industrial eras of our past, and the activists who stood up to fight for our right to breathe, provide the context and urgency that continue to inspire our work today. Through our Fresh Voices for Clean Air project, we’ve seen firsthand that there is no better way to protect our future than by handing the microphone to the generation that will inherit it. Bridging the Generational Divide We’re so proud of our Fresh Voices program because it’s an essential intergenerational bridge. By pairing local high school students with a diverse array of community members—from long-time residents who remember our worst skies to seasoned environmental advocates—we are creating a living, breathing archive of our region’s environmental journey. For the students, this is a hands-on masterclass in for the essential skills of modern advocacy: Media Literacy & Production: From interviewing and filming to editing and photography, they are learning how to translate complex environmental issues into compelling stories. Historical Context: By listening to firsthand accounts of our region's industrial history, they gain a deeper understanding of why current regulatory oversight—like that at the Clairton and Edgar Thomson Works—remains so vital. Community Connection: They are learning that effective advocacy is absolutely about data and permits - but it’s also about empathy, listening, and connecting with the lived experiences of friends and neighbors. Training the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders Why is this partnership between GASP and local students so critical? Because the environmental challenges facing our region are complex, long-term, and ever-evolving. To meet them, we need a pipeline of engaged, informed, and passionate citizens ready to take up the mantle. When we invest in student education, yes, we are teaching them about PM2.5 and Title V permits. But we are also empowering them to turn their passion into action. “We are showing them that their voices have weight and that they have the power to influence the health and future of their communities,” GASP Project and Education Manager Laura Kuster said. “The students involved in this program for the last two years did incredible work, uncovering narratives that might otherwise be lost to time.” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell agreed. “They are the next generation of environmental air quality heroes, and it is a privilege for us at GASP to support them as they hone their skills, find their voices, and help us all see our mission through a fresh, necessary lens,” he said. We were so proud this week to host an event celebrating their work - and we thank everyone who came out to join us in lauding their projects. We invite you to check out their incredible work here.

Today, we’re proud to share an air quality watchdog win out of West Deer Township – one that will mean less emissions emanating from the controversial EQT Leto Well Pad. Back in April, we blogged about the comments we gave regarding that draft Installation Permit, pointing out that proposed emission limits on the vapor destruction units and the dehydrator flare at the Leto Well Pad did not satisfy the “Best Available Control Technology” requirement in the Allegheny County Health Department’s rules and regulations for air pollution. Our senior attorney John Baillie explained the facility’s permit application demonstrated that it would be capable of operating flares used to control pollution at a 98% destructive efficiency rather than the 95% that would have been allowed by the draft Installation Permit. We are pleased that ACHD agreed with us and revised the Installation Permit so that the facility will be required to operate its flares at a 98% destructive efficiency. “This prevents about a ton of volatile organic compounds per year and about 200 pounds of hazardous air pollutants per year from entering the atmosphere,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “In the big picture, these are relatively small reductions, but every bit of pollution prevention helps.”

Last fall we blogged about a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would walk back deadlines for phasing down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). For the uninitiated: HFCs are chemicals used largely as refrigerants (but also in the manufacture of semiconductors) that have greenhouse gas effects that are hundreds of times as potent as carbon dioxide. The EPA on May 26 finalized that rule. It should surprise no one that the final rule mirrors the proposed rule. On the other hand, the history of these regulations is remarkable. Here’s why: In 2015 and 2016, EPA under the Obama Administration promulgated regulations intended to phase down the use of HFCs, citing section 612 of the Clean Air Act as its authority for the regulations. However, section 612 deals with ozone-depleting substances only, and HFCs do not deplete ozone. Consequently, those regulations were challenged in court and struck down in 2017. In late 2020, Congress passed a bill that authorized EPA to promulgate regulations to impose a gradual, nationwide phase down on the production and consumption of HFCs, which President Trump signed into law. That law contemplated that federal regulations limiting the production and consumption of HFCs were to be promulgated following a “negotiated rulemaking” among EPA and stakeholders but also permitted EPA to forego the “negotiated rulemaking” based on petitions submitted to it. To be clear, in this context it is fair to conclude that “negotiated rulemaking” means that industry writes the rules. Under the Biden Administration EPA chose to forego the “negotiated rulemaking” and instead promulgated regulations in 2023 that limited the production and consumption of HFCs based on 12 petitions that were submitted by stakeholders, including state governments, environmentalists, and industrial producers and users of HFCs. These petitions generally sought to reinstate the requirements of the 2015 and 2016 Obama era regulations. “The pendulum has swung back to where it was in 2020,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. “The history of the HFC regulations shows not only that it is important to follow the law, but also that what one president can do with the stroke of a pen, the next president can undo the same way.”