Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Conner this week released the federally required annual review of the Allegheny County Health Department's Title V Air Quality Fund and permitting function, which showed repeat concerns with a backlog in permit issuance and accounting practices. Here’s what O’Connor’s office said in a release:   During 2023, the year the audit covers, 30 industrial pollution sources in Allegheny County were subject to Title V permitting.   “Given continuing concerns with air quality in our region, Allegheny County residents are fortunate to have our own air quality monitoring agency with the ability to set and enforce transparent standards for local industries. The Health Department has made progress in recent years in reducing the backlog of outstanding permits and in processing applications more quickly. However, our review shows that further improvements are needed to achieve full compliance with the Department’s obligations under the Clean Air Act,” O’Connor said.   As of the end of 2023, permits had not been issued or denied to five major pollution sources in the County within 18 months of application as required by federal statute. This was up from three outstanding applications at the close of 2022, including two permits outstanding in both years. The Health Department reported that one of these permits had been issued since the end of the audit period and that the others were in various stages of revision or review.   The audit also found that over $584,000 was due to the Title V fund from other funds within the Health Department’s Air Quality program due to cross-charges. Federal law requires funds derived from Title V permitting to be used exclusively for expenditures within the program. Current Department accounting practices could allow these funds to be used for other purposes, auditors found. The same finding was made in the 2022 audit and was not corrected, the audit report states.   “Responsibly maintaining and monitoring funding streams for air quality control across multiple functions of the Air Quality program is crucial to mitigating the impact of industrial pollution on all of our residents, especially highly vulnerable communities near major pollution sources. Along with this examination of the Title V fund, my office issued an audit earlier this year calling for more productive use of the Clean Air Fund designated for community projects related to air quality,” O’Connor said. “I am also in support of the current proposal to modernize the fee structure for air quality permitting, which will allow the Health Department to maintain and improve its work in this area without harmful funding constraints.”   GASP was the first to raise the alarm over ACHD’s Title V permit backlog. Our senior attorney John Baillie has been tracking the backlog and has crafted yearly investigations that you can read here. GASP staff is currently reviewing the report and will keep you posted. Until then: Here’s the Independent Auditor’s Report .   And here’s the complete  Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control and Compliance .

Quick update today: Recently, we   reported  that the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) had at long last finalized the Title V Operating Permit for Synthomer’s facility in Jefferson Hills Borough.   Regular readers of this blog may recall that the facility was formerly operated by Eastman Chemical Resins, Inc., and was one of two major sources of air pollution in Allegheny County that had never been issued a Title V Operating Permit by ACHD, as required by the Clean Air Act. We have good news now about the other as-yet-to-be-permitted major source in the county, ATI Flat Rolled Products, in Brackenridge, which was formerly known as Allegheny Ludlum’s Brackenridge Works.   ACHD recently published a draft Title V Operating Permit for that facility ( which is available here ) and is accepting comments on that draft through Oct. 22.   Once ATI’s permit is issued, every major source of air pollution in Allegheny County will have had at least its initial Title V Operating Permit issued  (many major sources have received one or more renewals of their initial permits). We are reviewing that draft permit and will keep you updated on what we find.

GASP’s Fresh Voices for Clean Air  team members recently gathered at SLB Radio's Youth Media Center located at the Children's Museum for an insightful workshop about interviewing techniques - a crucial skill that will be a cornerstone of their upcoming oral history project. The workshop was led by SLB Radio Technical Director Chad Green and Executive Director Larry Berger, who founded the station in the 1970s when he was a high school student. During the workshop, our Fresh Voices team delved into the art of editing interviews, exploring various techniques. They also discussed a wide range of interviewing best practices, including effective question types and strategies to put interview subjects at ease.  Additionally, it covered practical tips for achieving optimal sound quality during recordings. Up next? The Fresh Voices participants will continue on with their oral history project and will return to SLB Radio in the spring for a workshop focused on audio editing and storytelling. Editor’s Note: SLB's Youth Media Center offers a wealth of free programming for students, including workshops, after school groups, and weekend drop-in sessions. You can check out their offerings here.

Local residents routinely wake up to some of the worst air quality in the country and have logged nearly 70,000 complaints since the 2016 launch of Carnegie Mellon University’s crowd-sourcing app SmellPGH describing noxious odors and associated physical symptoms ranging from itchy eyes and throats to headaches and breathing difficulties. Despite regulatory air quality monitors and a growing network of citizen-owned low-cost sensors, data gaps still exist making it difficult for residents to know exactly what pollutants they’re inhaling - an environmental justice issue seven local nonprofits are teaming up to help solve thanks to a nearly $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The project was one of four grants awarded totaling nearly $2 million to groups in southwestern Pennsylvania to enhance ambient air quality monitoring in communities that are underserved, historically marginalized, and overburdened by pollution. The initiatives will expand existing citizen research and monitoring initiatives in the region and are among 132 across 37 states to receive part of $53.4 million in funding through the federal Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. "This is such tremendous news for the region and comes in the wake of a prolonged air pollution episode that had Allegheny County residents breathing poor air for nearly half the month of October," GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. "This funding will allow advocates, residents, and air quality experts together and use their combined time and talent to fill in some of these monitoring gaps and arm folks with the data they need to identify pollutants of concern in their communities and engage with policymakers to help improve conditions in their neighborhoods.” Over the next three years, GASP, along with Allegheny County Clean Air Now, the Birmingham/Uptown Clean Air Group, Breathe Project, Clean Water Fund, CREATE Lab, Protect Elizabeth Township, and Valley Clean Air Now will use the EPA funding to install dozens of low-cost air monitors to measure concentrations of pollutants like particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. The groups will also take and analyze air samples during “smell events” reported by the SmellPGH app to determine what exactly what pollutants residents were exposed to during these episodes of poor air quality. "We really want to make the most of this chance to demonstrate the benefits of holistically analyzing data from a spectrum of monitoring technology, including qualitative tools like SmellPGH which can offer insights into where and when people are being exposed to harmful air pollution,” CREATELab’s Ana Hoffman explained. “We want to set this method of data inclusivity as a precedent for EPA." The monitors will be deployed in environmental justice communities across our region - from communities in the Mon Valley and Pittsburgh to river valley towns like Donora and Neville Island. "Air monitoring will greatly enhance the capabilities of communities to understand and address pollution events throughout the region, protecting the health of residents in the process," Breathe Project Executive Director Matt Mehalik said. Karen Grzywinski of Allegheny County Clean Air Now agreed and said she is hopeful the funding will help provide answers to residents in and around the Neville Island area who have long wondered what’s in their air. “Our health department has referred to Neville Island as a pollution "hot spot" in Allegheny County - second only to Clairton Coke Works,” she said. “It's time we identified what residents are being exposed to and what industries are responsible.” Myron Arnowitt Pennsylvania Director at Clean Water Action said his group is excited to get started and hoped community members would rally around the project. "Residents living near industrial plants know the best when pollution is bad, where it is bad, and what kind of illnesses are in the community,” he said. “We urge Mon Valley residents to get involved in these local efforts to find out what's contaminating the air our families breathe every day.” Scott Taylor of Protect Elizabeth Township said the funding will help complement and supplement existing community air monitoring in their corner of Allegheny County and that they look forward to sharing collected data with the community for feedback and concerns. “As a small grassroots group, we are very proud to have the largest monitoring program spanning Allegheny County and into the Mon Valley. Our monitors are provided free to the community and this funding will allow us to further develop and expand our existing air monitoring network and add to our current data collection,” he said. Read the full list of grantees here .

GASP on Thursday joined national green steel organization Industrious Labs and fellow local environmental leaders outside the MetCoke World Summit in Pittsburgh to speak out against the health and environmental impacts of the steel industry and call for cleaner, safer production practices and stricter rules for the coke industry. Just how much of an impact? According to a recent report from Industrious Labs, in communities like Pittsburgh, steel and coke facilities are part of a larger industrial landscape where cumulative pollution from multiple sources causes severe and extensive harm. Research indicates that residents of Allegheny County experience significantly higher mortality rates from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution than other parts of the U.S., with PM2.5 exposure linked to an estimated 640-1,373 deaths annually. Our Executive Director Patrick Campbell was among those who spoke at the rally . Here were his comments: Good morning. My name is Patrick Campbell, and I’m the Executive Director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution, or GASP—a nonprofit that’s been fighting for clean air since 1969.   We’re here today outside the MetCoke Summit to deliver a message that can no longer be ignored: our communities’ health and well-being must come before industry profits.   For far too long, the coke, coal, and steel industries have prioritized their bottom line over the health of our people. The pollution they release has exacted a heavy toll, causing untold suffering in communities that deserve far better.   The Mon Valley, once a proud emblem of American industry, has become a stark warning of what happens when profit takes precedence over responsibility. Places like Clairton and Braddock have paid the price for decades of environmental neglect.   A recent report by Industrious Labs has put hard data behind what we already knew: pollution in the Mon Valley is linked to an alarming number of excess deaths. These aren’t just numbers—they represent real people, our neighbors, friends, and families.   We’re here to demand a different future, one where the health of our communities and the health of our planet are non-negotiable. We need a steel industry that leads in innovation and reduces its emissions and carbon footprint.   To make this future a reality, we must: Invest in Clean Energy : Transition to renewable energy and adopt sustainable industrial practices. Hold Polluters Accountable : Enforce meaningful penalties for companies that break environmental laws and endanger our communities. Prioritize Community Health : Fund initiatives for air quality monitoring and health screenings to safeguard public health.   To the attendees inside the MetCoke Conference, we ask this: listen to the voices of the people affected by your decisions. Commit to building a steel industry that is sustainable, equitable, and safe.   Thank you.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.  The rule facilitates implementation of Congress's directive in the Inflation Reduction Act to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air. Congress established the charge on large emitters of methane if their emissions exceed specific performance levels and directed EPA to collect the charge and implement other features of the program, including providing appropriate exemptions for actions that reduce methane releases.  Today's final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources for American consumers and reduce methane emissions – a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are experiencing today. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 1.2 million metric tons of methane (34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent) through 2035 — the equivalent of taking nearly 8 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year — and will have cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. EPA's final rule details how the charge will be implemented, including the calculation of the charge and how exemptions from the charge will be applied.  Facilities in compliance with the recently finalized Clean Air Act standards for oil and gas operations would be exempt from the charge after certain criteria set by Congress are met.  The agency expects that over time, fewer facilities will face the charge as they reduce their emissions and become eligible for this regulatory compliance exemption. In keeping with the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Waste Emissions Charge works in concert both with Clean Air Act standards issued in March 2024 to limit methane from new and existing oil and gas operations, and with more than $1 billion in financial and technical assistance that EPA has partnered with The U.S. Department of Energy to provide under the Inflation Reduction Act to support monitoring and mitigation of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Combined, these actions will help position the United States as the most efficient producer of oil and natural gas in the world and ensure that the industry remains competitive in overseas markets that require a minimum level of emissions performance. In the final rule, EPA made changes in response to public comments that will provide owners and operators of oil and natural gas facilities with greater flexibility to achieve emission reductions and thereby avoid the charge.  States now have a stronger incentive to submit satisfactory plans for limiting methane from existing oil and gas operations in a timely manner.  Additionally, the Waste Emissions Charge will apply until oil and gas operators achieve full compliance with state plans, helping to incentivize better performance. The final rule also provides additional clarity on exemptions and other provisions of the rule.

Did you know the Clean Air Act includes a so-called Good Neighbor Provision that prohibits sources within a state from interfering with the attainment or maintenance of a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (or NAAQS for short) in any other downwind state? We blogged about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to implement the Good Neighbor Rule with respect to the 2015 NAAQS for ozone when it was announced  and again this past July,   when the United States Supreme Court rejected the Plan  in the case Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency .   Well, we have a little update for ya. Here’s what’s going on: The Good Neighbor Plan that the Supreme Court rejected would have resulted in restrictions being placed on certain large sources’ (most prominently for our region, power plants that burn fossil fuels, iron and steel mills, natural gas pipelines, and cement manufacturers) emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in states that were subject to the plan.   The Good Neighbor Plan failed when subjected to legal challenges for two reasons:   The Plan circumvented states’ authority under the Clean Air Act to develop their own rules to meet their Good Neighbor obligations and EPA failed to explain how the Plan would work if one or more states were exempted from it (if, for example, EPA failed to allow the states to develop and implement their own plans, as was in fact the case). Well, the Good Neighbor Plan is back, albeit in much abbreviated form.   Last week, EPA announced a final rule that would restrict emissions of NOX from fossil fuel-burning power plants in nine states - including Pennsylvania - in order to implement those states’ Good Neighbor obligations with respect to the 2015 NAAQS for ozone.   The Plan would no longer apply to other source categories.  Under the revised Plan, power plants in those nine states will participate in an already-existing program known as the Cross State Air Pollution Rule that implements Good Neighbor obligations with respect to the 2008 NAAQS for ozone.   The rule purports to do this by capping NOX emissions from sources within the included states (at levels which will prevent interference with the attainment or maintenance of the NAAQS in downwind states) and authorizing trading of emission allowances between sources.  According to EPA’s Final Rule, CSAPR has been modified to meet participants’ obligations with respect to both the 2008 and 2015 NAAQS for ozone. In an unusual twist, EPA is not accepting comments on the final rule. “The end result of all of this is – assuming the revised plan survives any further legal challenge – is that NOX emission limits at power plants in our area that are subject to the rule may be reduced, although by how much at any particular power plant is not yet clear,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained. He continued: “Further, downwind states should have an easier time attaining and maintaining the 2015 NAAQS for ozone.”

We just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out Sunday to GASP's walk-and-talk at Homewood Cemetery. The fundraising event featured our friend, h istoric urban cemetery with history Jennie Benford, who helped us learn more about the role of the cemetery as a preserved urban green space while we looked out for lichen, a common bioindicator of air quality. It was a beautiful sunny day for the stroll - check it out:

Back in April, when we blogged about a suite of rules promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions from fossil fuel-burning power plants. You can read the details   here . This week, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the rule brought by the attorneys general of several states, allowing the rule to stand - at least for the time being.   “It is important to note, however, that the court’s decision appears to have been made on a procedural basis – the court refused to rule on the case on emergency grounds while another, similar challenge to the rule is winding its way through the lower courts,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained.   Whether or not the rules survive those challenges (or the arrival of a new Presidential administration) is an open question. One thing’s for sure: We’ll continue to keep you updated on the challenge to these rules as new developments occur.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this week announced that it has secured $1.62 million from Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (Cyprus) to address legacy pollution in Washington County. The money has been earmarked for environmental projects in Washington County, and DEP is now accepting public input to further develop the project guidelines.   Little background for ya: From 1913 through the late 1940s, American Zinc and Chemical Company owned and operated a 157-acre site in Smith Township that included a zinc smelter, acid plant, and residue mill. The company deep-mined coal onsite to supply the smelter operations and also disposed of various wastes onsite, which resulted in significant contamination of the soil, groundwater, wetlands, and Burgetts Fork, which borders the site and ultimately flows to the Ohio River. An environmental investigation conducted at the site estimated that the total volume of waste exceeded 349,000 cubic yards.    DEP found Cyprus to be a corporate successor responsible for the contamination and release of hazardous substances. Since 2009, DEP’s enforcement actions have led to successive settlements with Cyprus resulting in a phased cleanup of the site. Significant remediation has already been completed, and cleanup of the site is currently entering its final phase. In addition to the $1.62 million, the company will also pay $68,057 to reimburse DEP’s costs to assess and investigate the site. Cleanup of the site is currently entering its final phase.    The money DEP collects will be directed to toward projects that benefit the impacted community near the site. Before making a decision on what projects will be funded, DEP will provide opportunities for the public to give feedback on what types of projects they’d like to see funded – whether that’s investments to clean up or preserve natural resources like streams and woodlands or investments in greenspaces.   A copy of the agreement can be found on DEP’s website . Wanna weigh in? DEP is accepting public comments related to the consent order and agreement through Dec. 11. Written comments may be submitted to: Paul Vogel, Manager, Hazardous Sites Cleanup PA Department of Environmental Protection 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Comments may also be emailed to RA-EPSW-HSCA@pa.gov .