Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In chapter one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. In chapter two, we analyzed the terms of the consent decree, while chapter three focused on whether or not U.S. Steel met the requirements of those terms. In this final chapter, we talk about what's next and why we need YOU. For many of the aspects of the consent decree - like BOP Shop recommended improvements and installation of the Riley Boilers - we have to wait, and GASP will be making subsequent public records requests for those semiannual reports to determine where in the process U.S. Steel is - and what additional documents that we will need to obtain. That process will be ongoing. For those asking, “Hey, what ever happened with that Turtle Creek Connection trail that received $750,000 in consent decree fine money?” we don’t have much new news there, either, unfortunately. The project website states simply, “This project is currently in the design and engineering phase.” What We DO Know Our investigation into the Edgar Thomson Works consent decree showed something somewhat shocking: That U.S. Steel is capable of meeting the requirements of an air quality-related consent decree. For example: GASP’s public records requests reveal there were no demands for stipulated penalties associated with the decree since the deal was inked. Not one. By contrast, ACHD issued demands for stipulated penalties to U.S. Steel every single quarter for the entirety of the five years the company was under the terms of a controversial 2019 consent decree designed to get the Clairton Coke Works into compliance with air quality rules following a high-profile 2018 Christmas Eve fire that knocked out key emissions-control equipment for 100 days. So what now? We stay vigilant. GASP’s watchdog work will not stop while we’re waiting for the myriad reports, updates, studies and details to emerge. Why? Under the current consent decree, U.S. Steel is required to follow "short-term and intermediate recommendations" to reduce emissions for various operations. But how do we know if these work practices and equipment tweaks are actually doing what they were intended to? The answer is community eyes. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) employs inspectors, but the reality is simple: they cannot be everywhere at once. That’s why GASP is increasing its watchdog efforts at Edgar Thomson and we’re looking for volunteers to help join our ET Watch Team to provide the consistent, high-quality observations needed to hold U.S. Steel accountable. Join the Team We are looking for residents who live near the Edgar Thomson facility to join us. You know your neighborhood best. You know when the air feels heavy and when the stench is at its peak. GASP will provide the tools residents need to: ● Understand visual emissions coming from the Edgar Thomson facility ● Make effective air quality reports to Allegheny County Health Department ● Engage with policymakers Ready to take the next step? “We cannot wait for U.S. Steel to self-report every slip-up. If we want the air in the Mon Valley to improve, we must be the ones working to make it happen,” Campbell added. Interested? Fill out our quick form here.

Gov. Josh Shapiro this week announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was seeking final court approval of a consent decree that will allow two generating stations in the Commonwealth to reopen and operate through 2032.   The Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations are both coal-fired power plants having the same operator. Keystone is in Armstrong County and Conemaugh is in Indiana County. Both plants had been slated to close at the end of 2028, when compliance with stricter federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations that were promulgated in 2015 would have become mandatory. When it made the decision to close the plants in 2021, the plants’ operator determined it was too expensive to comply with those regulations. Increased demand for electricity brought on by data centers has changed the analysis that led to the decision to close the plants.   Also playing into the plants’ decision to reopen: a still-proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would allow DEP - as the Clean Water Act permitting authority for the plants - to extend the deadline for the plants to comply with the 2015 federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations, provided that DEP finds an “unexpected” change in electricity prices or a surge in demand for electricity has occurred. Nothing in the Consent Decree purported to alter the plants’ obligations under the air pollution laws and regulations, so, presumably, the plants will operate pursuant to their existing Title V Operating Permits (which you can access here and here).  Although both plants’ Title V Operating Permits have expired, the plants may still operate under them because the plant operator submitted timely renewal applications (which DEP has not acted on). “Although the reopening of the plants might help ease the strain on the electric grid, it will be bad for air pollution in areas downwind from the plants,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie. “For 2024, the Conemaugh plant reported 1,508 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,234 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions, and the Keystone plant reported 7,322 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,112 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions.”   More information regarding those emissions is available here.

Several months ago, we blogged about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to redesignate Allegheny County from nonattainment of the 2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter to attainment. We have an update: In the April 16 edition of the Federal Register, EPA published a Final Rule that does, in fact, redesignate Allegheny County to attainment of the 2012 NAAQS for PM2.5. To put it another way: It’s official, official now. Two things to note:  Achieving attainment does not mean that sources of PM2.5 and regulators can take their feet off the gas, as the regulations that achieved attainment remain on the books as part of what’s known as the Maintenance Plan for Allegheny County.   However, any new major sources of PM2.5 in Allegheny County, or any new major modifications to existing major sources of PM2.5, will be subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements rather than stricter Nonattainment New Source Review requirements. Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements are designed to ensure that a new source does not knock an area out of attainment of a NAAQS. April 16’s Final Rule caps a long process that resulted in the closure of several sources of PM2.5 and the installation of improved emission controls at many others – those are outlined in the November 20, 2025 Proposed Rule for the redesignation.   “EPA’s redesignation of Allegheny underlines how the Clean Air Act works, albeit slowly, to promote public health,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie.