FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 08, 2024   Media Contacts: Amanda Gillooly, Group Against Air Pollution and Smog (GASP), amanda@gasp-pgh.org , (724) 624-6158 Zachary Barber, PennEnvironment, zach@pennenvironment.org , (412) 973-5023   Environmental Groups Support Plan to boost funding for Allegheny County Air Quality Program Groups Support Increased Fees to Polluters; Object to Cuts to Allegheny County Air Inspectors   PITTSBURGH - Allegheny County recently announced plans to increase funding for its air quality program. Local environmental groups reacted by expressing support for the county Health Department’s proposal to increase fees from polluting industries, but object to the county’s plan to eliminate several positions from the air program, including engineers, technicians, and inspectors.   “Allegheny County needs a fully funded Air Program - full stop,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell  said. “Fully funding the program through polluter fees is vital for our health, and that means raising enough money to avoid cuts to personnel needed for environmental inspections and effective enforcement.”   The Allegheny County Health Department unveiled an initial plan for fee increases at a June 10 Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee meeting. Department officials revealed a $1.8 million deficit and said the permit fee increases and other measures are necessary to help offset the shortfall.   Lisa Graves Marcucci, community organizer for the Environmental Integrity Project  and lifelong Mon Valley resident, said: “Residents of Allegheny County rely on the Health Department’s air program to keep us safe from dangerous pollution and hold companies accountable to the law. In order to ensure protections are in place there needs to be Clean Air Act expertise in the department with proper financing to ensure compliance.”   The new proposal  would bring in an additional $1.9 million by increasing fees charged to polluters, and would create a new outreach coordinator position to work with Environmental Justice communities. However, the proposal would also eliminate multiple positions from the air program, including engineers, technicians, inspectors.   While environmental groups like GASP, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, the Environmental Integrity Project, and Breathe Project are lauding plans to bolster funding for the Air Quality Program, they expressed concern about plans to cut positions and encouraged the county to consider going further to fully-fund the Department.   "You can’t put a price on our health, which is why we need to ensure county officials have the money they need to protect residents from toxic industrial air pollution,” Zachary Barber, the clean air advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center , said. “Rather than cut staff, Allegheny County should fully fund the Air Quality Program by charging polluters the true cost of protecting our health."     “Raising fees on polluters is a crucial step in prioritizing residents’ health and increasing the Department’s capacity to hold companies accountable to the law,” said Matt Walker, Clean Air Council Advocacy Director. “However, the County must not force ACHD to eliminate engineers, inspectors, or other staff essential to ACHD’s ability to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act, which is necessary for protecting residents from toxic air pollution.”   Advocates plan to speak in support of a fully funded Air Quality Program at the next Allegheny County Board of Health meeting July 17.   ###   GASP is a nonprofit citizens’ group in Southwestern PA working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policymaker on environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region.   The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We work to protect the places we love, advance the environmental values we share, and win real results for our environment.   The Environmental Integrity Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting public health and our natural resources by holding polluters and government agencies accountable under the law, advocating for tough but fair environmental standards, and empowering communities fighting for clean air and clean water.   The Clean Air Council is an  environmental health advocacy organization  fighting for everyone’s right to a healthy environment. Protecting people’s health from the harmful impacts of pollution has always been the Council’s primary goal.

We’re not going to mince words: The committee tasked with recommending whether or not an Allegheny County Health Department plan to eliminate a $1.8 million deficit and fully fund its Air Quality Program should be approved by the Board of Health for public comment failed in its duties Monday night.   Seriously, though: The proceedings of the nearly 90-minute foundering special meeting of the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee Monday were cringey in its best moments and straight embarrassing in its worst.   Here’s what happened and why we hope yinz will join us in raising a little hell at the next Allegheny County Board of Health meeting, which is slated for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17.   About That Deficit, ACHD’s Plan to Beef Up Bottom Line & That Shameful Committee Vote   Allegheny County recently announced plans to increase funding for its air quality program in part through increasing fees imposed upon industrial air polluters. Environmental groups like GASP have pledged their support for the plan to get to public comment.   You can read all about how the deficit was announced, and why we are rallying support for the draft plan here .   Long story short: Procedurally, ACHD are tasked with seeking recommendations for policy issues like this from the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee before taking it up the chain to the Allegheny County Board of Health.   To its credit, Deputy Director of Environmental Health Geoff Rabinowitz did his due diligence: At the committee’s last regularly scheduled meeting in June, he presented a lengthy report about the state of the Air Quality Program’s finances and detailed proposal to shore them up in part by increasing fees paid by polluters.   Unfortunately, the committee lacked a quorum that night and was unable to take formal action. For inquiring minds that want to know, it was the third straight meeting where there were not enough members in attendance to convene.   For those folks who might not have a frame of reference for how often boards and committees lack a quorum, please know that it is very rare indeed.   That lack of a quorum prompted a special meeting of the committee, which took place Monday, barely had enough members to convene, and ended in a 3-3-1 vote.   Committee Chair Dan Bricmont, John Palmieri, and Colleen Davis, voted NOT to recommend that proposal be recommended for approval for public comment by the Board of Health.   Steve Hrzdovich, Sara Mari Baldi, and Courtney Mahronich Vita voted yes.   Oddly, one member of the committee - Anna Batista - failed to cast a vote despite being in attendance for the presentation and naming no conflict of interest. Before voting she stammered, “I don’t know what to say” before eventually telling those in attendance that she was abstaining.   Jeanne Clark was in attendance left the meeting without explanation prior to the vote.   Not in attendance were members Chip Babst, Mary Ann Bucci, Michael Corcoran, Mark Jeffrey, Bob Orchowski, and Anna Siefkin.   GASP hopes the new county administration will take a hard look at the recent absences and dysfunction on this committee and appoint members serious about showing up and putting public health first. More on that from us to come.   Next Stop Board of Health? We Hope So - Here’s Why   Here’s what we know for sure: Allegheny County Health Department needs a fully funded Air Quality Program. Full stop. We think it’s something every breathing being in the county can agree on - and to get there, we have to get this proposal to public comment.   Is the proposal perfect? No. Do we have concerns? Yes. And that’s all the more reason to approve it for public comment. ACHD has said it needs all the brain power it can harness to come up with an appropriate way to fund its Air Quality Program.   The issue is expected to be brought up, perhaps for a vote, at the next Board of Health meeting scheduled for next week - 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. GASP is going to be there to speak out on the issue and encourage members of the board to vote YES to get this thing on the road to public comment.   This is when we ask for your support, because we will need it: Would you - could you? - sign up to provide a public comment supporting the plan? If you can’t attend, would you consider sending a message to the board? We even have some handy-dandy talking points.   Yinz in? If so, you can click HERE to sign up to speak. You can click HERE to submit a written comment to board of health members (note: these comments are routed straight to members and are summarized verbally at the beginning of the meeting).   Need a little help getting started? Here are some draft comments to use or build on:   Dear Board of Health Members, I am writing today to encourage you to VOTE YES to send ACHD’s plan to fully fund its Air Quality Program in part through imposing higher fees on polluters to public comment. As you know, air quality is one of our most pressing public health issues here in Allegheny County - one that adversely impacts some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Practically, there are MANY reasons to support the plan for public comment. Not only will a fully funded program help ensure enforcement and compliance efforts, but it will also fulfill Allegheny County’s legal obligations under Title V of the Clean Air Act. Additionally, it is expected to help resolve other long-standing issues like ACHD’s air quality permit backlog. Further, the Air Quality Program must be fully funded to be prepared for the task of implementing two new major clean air rules aimed at reducing fine particulate matter and cancer-causing benzene emissions. This will be a heavy lift and will require the department to be at full staffing capacity. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.   Questions? Concerns? No worries, just hit up our communications manager Amanda Gillooly at amanda@gasp-pgh.org .

Speakers who addressed the Allegheny County Board of Health on Wednesday called the need for a fully funded Air Quality Program "crucial" and the decision to send the health department's plan to accomplish that to public comment "a no brainer." One by one, residents and environmental advocates stood up to drive home the importance of ensuring the Air Quality Program has the funding necessary to do its job and asked members to vote YES on advancing the proposal to eliminate a $1.8 million deficit - in part by raising fees on polluters - to the public comment stage. And we're pleased to announce that our collective advocacy around this issue WAS A SUCCESS. The board of health today voted to approve the proposal for public comment. A public hearing will also be scheduled. Little background/context for you: GASP was the first to sound the alarm over the Air Quality Program's newest funding woes, and teamed up with our buds at Breathe Project, Clean Air Council Environmental Integrity Project, Penn Environment to get residents to join us in sending that message loud and clear to board of health members. We thank everyone who spoke out at the meeting, as well as all the folks who submitted written comments in advance! Miss the meeting? You can check out the video here . Wanna read GASP's comments to the board? Here ya go: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a local nonprofit working to improve local air quality since 1969. I am here today to implore you to approve for public comment a proposal from the Allegheny County Health Department that leaders say will eliminate a $1.8 million budget deficit and help fully fund our Air Quality Program. ACHD announced its plan to beef up Air Quality Program funding in part through increasing fees imposed upon industrial air polluters at the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee’s regularly scheduled meeting last month. To ACHD’s credit, Deputy Director of Environmental Health Geoff Rabinowitz did his due diligence, presenting a lengthy report about the state of the Air Quality Program’s finances complete with a detailed proposal to shore them up. Unfortunately, the committee lacked a quorum that night and was unable to vote on the plan. It was the third straight meeting where no formal action could be taken for this reason.  That lack of quorum prompted a special meeting last week, where there was a quorum but no consensus. The 90-minute meeting ended with a 3-3-1 vote - failing in its duties to this board and Allegheny County residents by failing to make a definitive recommendation. GASP hopes the new county administration will take a hard look at the recent absences and dysfunction on this committee and appoint members serious about showing up and putting public health first. More on that from us to come.  In the meantime, we are asking this board to approve the plan for public comment because it’s clear the committee tasked with advising you on this crucial funding is either unable or unwilling to do so. Here’s what we know for sure: Allegheny County needs a fully funded Air Quality Program. Full stop. We think that’s something every breathing being in the county can agree about.   Is the proposal perfect? No. Do we have concerns? Absolutely. But this is all the more reason to approve it for public comment. ACHD has said it needs all the brain power it can harness to come up with an appropriate way to fund its Air Quality Program.  Air quality remains one of our most pressing public health issues, so please vote to keep the process of progress advancing. Thank you. Editor's Note: GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted!

The public comment period is now open for an Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) proposal to increase funding for its air quality program in part through increasing fees imposed upon industrial air polluters.   Little background/context for ya: GASP was the   first to sound the alarm  over the Air Quality Program's newest funding woes, and   teamed up with Breathe Project, Clean Air Council, Environmental Integrity Project, and PennEnvironment to get residents to join us in telling the Allegheny County Board of Health last week to approve the plan for public input - a collective advocacy success.   Why do we care - and why should you? We’ve said it before, and we will say it again: Allegheny County needs a fully funded Air Quality Program. Air quality issues remain one of our area’s leading public health issues, and we need to arm our regulators with the necessary resources. Full stop.   GASP staff is currently reviewing the plan with the proverbial fine-tooth comb and will be submitting comments - and we hope you do, too! Because ACHD needs all the brain power it can get to ensure its Air Quality Program is fully funded.   Stay tuned, we will have an explainer blog soon with suggested talking points.  What we are asking you to do now is save the date - a public hearing on the proposed plan  is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19 at the West Mifflin Borough Building. Folks can sign up to speak on the matter here.

Time is running out to speak up in support of an Allegheny County Health Department proposal to fully fund our Air Quality Program by raising fees imposed upon industrial polluters.   Little background/context for ya: GASP was the   first to sound the alarm  over the Air Quality Program's newest funding woes, and   teamed up with Breathe Project, Clean Air Council, Environmental Integrity Project, Penn Environment  to get residents to join us telling the Allegheny County Board of Health last week to approve the plan for public input - a collective advocacy success.   Now the proposal is in the public comment phase - one that will culminate with a hearing at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 19 in West Mifflin. This is where (we hope) you come in because we need as many voices as possible speaking out in support of the plan.   Why do we care - and why should you? It’s pretty simple, really: Allegheny County needs a fully funded Air Quality Program. Air quality issues remain one of our area’s leading public health issues, and we need to equip our regulators with the resources they need to fulfill their duties under the Clean Air Act. Period.   Another reason to speak up? Representatives from industrial polluters like U.S. Steel have already stated their opposition to the plan, and we anticipate a heavy presence of folks speaking out against it. So the time to stand up for our right to clean air is now, friends.   GASP will be presenting public comments at the hearing, and we encourage people who can make it to join us. Folks can sign up to speak on the matter here.   If submitting a public comment is more your style, ACHD has a public participation form you can use to weigh in here.   Need a little help getting started? We got you covered! Remember, the most impactful public comments from residents include both their personal experiences with air pollution and information on why the proposed plan (which you can read more about on our blog), should be greenlighted.   So here are some points to consider including: Not only will a fully funded program help ensure enforcement and compliance efforts, but it will also fulfill Allegheny County’s legal obligations under Title V of the Clean Air Act. Air pollution remains one of our most pressing public health issues and ACHD’s Air Quality Program needs the resources it needs to ensure that industrial polluters are playing by the rules. The Air Quality Program has been chronically underfunded and understaffed and for years, ACHD used a portion of the Clean Air Fund to help shore up its operating budget - a practice that needs to stop. Right now, ACHD’s Air Quality Program is facing a permit backlog, which means that many polluting facilities are operating on expired permits or, in some cases, without any operating permit. Having a fully staffed program is essential to eliminating that backlog.   Remember: The deadline to submit your written comment is 11:59 p.m. Aug. 19. Questions? Reach out to us at amanda@gasp-pgh.org .

Dear Fellow Breathers, We’ve gotta couple questions for you. Have you ever: Lamented how bad the air smelled? Woke up and immediately checked the AQI to see if it was safe to exercise outdoors? Wondered, “What’s it gonna take to improve our local air quality? If you answered YES to any of those questions, we wanna encourage you to take just two minutes today to speak out in support of progress, in support of cleaner air locally. We’re talking, of course, about a proposed Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) plan to fully fund our local Air Quality Program by increasing permitting and other fees on polluters. The proposal, which is now in the public comment phase, came in the wake of news that the Air Quality Program was facing a nearly $2 million budget deficit. The updated fee schedule, ACHD leaders have said, is necessary to allow ACHD to fully fund the program. The public comment period will culminate in a hearing at the West Mifflin Borough Building at 5:30 p.m. this upcoming Monday, Aug. 19, where GASP and myriad residents and fellow advocates are expected to speak out in support of the plan. We hope you can join us in speaking out at the hearing and if you can’t (or public speaking isn’t really your thing), we encourage you to submit a written comment supporting ACHD’s plan. Two deadlines to be aware of, though:  The deadline to sign up to speak at the hearing is 5:30 p.m. this Sunday (24-hours in advance). Here’s the sign up form.   Written comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Those can be sent to aqcomments@alleghenycounty.us . Need a little more background info? Some help crafting those written comments? No worries - we got you. Here are details and sample talking points. Editor’s Note: Please feel free to reach out to our communications manager if you have any questions or concerns! Her email is amanda@gasp-pgh.org .

GASP joined residents and fellow advocates at a public hearing in West Mifflin Monday to send the message: Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) needs a fully funded Air Quality Program, and the way to get it is through increasing permitting fees on polluters. You can get all the background info you need on the plan here. GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell delivered the following comments at the hearing: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit organization working to improve our regional air quality since 1969. I am here today to speak in support of Allegheny County Health Department’s plan to fully fund its Air Quality Program through increasing fees imposed on polluters.  To put it simply: Air quality remains one of our area’s leading public health issues, and we need to equip our regulators with the resources they need to ensure polluters are playing by the rules.  And right now, it’s clear ACHD does not have those necessary resources. Unfortunately, this isn’t a new issue. Audits dating back at least 10 years have consistently observed that our local Air Quality Program is chronically underfunded and understaffed.  And auditors noted that those funding and staffing deficiencies have contributed to ACHD’s lingering Title V permit backlog, as well as hampered its enforcement and compliance efforts. While I could stand up here all night sharing the very real, very emotional reasons why Allegheny County needs a fully funded Air Quality Program, the truth is, it’s a legal mandate. ACHD has been delegated the authority to enforce both federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the control of air pollution in Allegheny County and the federal Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to carry out that authority. The Clean Air Act also requires that ACHD’s program for Title V facilities charge fees that are sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program.  Since it is clear that funding that ACHD receives from Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are also insufficient to cover the cost of administering the non-Title V side of ACHD’s Air Quality Program, it is entirely appropriate that the polluting facilities that require time and resources from the Air Quality Program pay fees that cover the cost of that time and those resources. Thank you. Next stop? The plan must be approved by both the Allegheny County Board of Health and Allegheny County Council. We'll keep you posted as the process proceeds. Editor's Note: GASP also submitted formal written comments that you can read here.

Good news, folks: The Allegheny County Board of Health on Wednesday approved a revised air quality permit fee schedule that is expected to help beef up enforcement and compliance efforts. GASP, residents and fellow advocates have strongly supported the proposal, which ACHD said is necessary to fully fund its local Air Quality Program. Myriad speakers addressed the board imploring members to vote YES on the permit fee schedule, which you can read all about here. Among those commenters was GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell. Here's what he told the board: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, and I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit organization working to improve our regional air quality since 1969. This afternoon, members of this board will again be asked to vote to approve a revised permit fee schedule proposed by the Allegheny County Health Department to help finally fully fund its Air Quality Program. GASP and myriad local nonprofit groups and residents have stated our support for the proposal, which is expected to help buoy enforcement and compliance efforts crucial to ensuring Allegheny County continues to make progress on the air quality front. As you know, the proposal was put out to public comment, where it received an overwhelming amount of support from residents, elected officials, and environmental groups. In fact, at a recent Air Advisory Committee meeting, ACHD’s Director of Environmental Health Geoff Rabinowitz noted that more than 100 comments were received in favor of the changes. The number of comments against the proposal? Just one. Unfortunately, that most recent meeting of the Air Advisory Committee did not result in a recommendation to this board about the fee schedule. That’s because the committee AGAIN lacked a quorum, which meant the members who bothered to show up could neither deliberate nor take formal action. Fortunately, the reasons to vote YES on the revised fee schedule are clear. ACHD has been delegated the authority to enforce both federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the control of air pollution in Allegheny County and the federal Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to carry out that authority. The Clean Air Act also requires that ACHD’s program for Title V facilities charge fees that are sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program. It has become abundantly clear that the funding ACHD receives from the county and commonwealth are also insufficient to cover the cost of administering the non-Title V side of ACHD’s Air Quality Program, it is entirely appropriate that the polluting facilities that require time and resources from the Air Quality Program pay fees that cover the cost of that time and those resources. A vote to approve the revised fee schedule is a vote for clean air and a vote for an improved quality of life for residents living in front-line communities plagued by industrial pollution. A yes vote on this proposal is also a vote of confidence for the rank-and-file employees of ACHD who must be equipped with the resources they need to effectively do their jobs. Thank you. Editor's Note: This isn't the end of the road for the proposal. Next stop, Allegheny County Council for a final vote. GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted.

Let us put it to you this way: If Allegheny County Health Department’s revised air quality permit fee schedule that is expected to help beef up enforcement and compliance efforts was a football, it would be on the 10-yard line. We’ve got just one more play to get that bad boy into the proverbial endzone.  The final vote on the proposed fee schedule is coming up soon, and we need to make sure that Allegheny County Council knows there is strong support from local residents, nonprofits, and other local stakeholders. Quick background: The revised fee schedule has already been through the public comment period, where it received robust support. After that, it was shipped back over to the Allegheny County Board of Health, where it received nearly unanimous support. Next stop is the Allegheny County Committee on Health and Human Services, which will convene Wednesday, Oct. 9 to discuss the proposal. That committee is tasked with recommending to the full council whether or not the fee schedule changes should be finally approved. When finally approved, the proposal then heads to the desk of Allegheny County Chief Executive Sara Innamorato for her signature. Why are we telling you all this now? Because while the Committee on Health and Human Services has already been bombarded with comments from industry opposing the changes, they have not yet heard from YOU. “We cannot let industry interests drown out the voices and very real concerns of residents who are calling for a fully funded Air Quality Program,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We need to let Council know definitively that there is a groundswell of support for the proposal - that it’s necessary for our public health and improved local air quality.” Our question: Will you help us get this thing into the endzone?  If your answer is a “heck yes, GASP” then please consider submitting a written comment to Allegheny County Council as a whole - and to your specific council person - to encourage them to vote YES on the proposed fee schedule changes. The Council vote is expected at the Oct. 22 meeting, so there’s still time to send over comments showing your support. Need a little help getting started? We got you. Please feel free to copy and paste the comments below or use them to help kickstart your own: I am writing today to ask that council members vote YES on Allegheny County Health Department’s plan to fully fund its Air Quality Program through a revised permit fee schedule. GASP, myriad local nonprofit groups and residents have stated our support for the proposal, which is expected to help buoy enforcement and compliance efforts crucial to ensuring our region continues to make progress on the air quality front. As you know, the proposal was put out to public comment, where it received an overwhelming amount of support from residents, elected officials, and environmental groups. The Allegheny County Board of Health also voted nearly unanimously to approve the fee increases. Fortunately, the reasons to vote YES on the revised fee schedule are clear.  ACHD has been delegated the authority to enforce both federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the control of air pollution in Allegheny County and the federal Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to carry out that authority. The Clean Air Act also requires that ACHD’s program for Title V facilities charge fees that are sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program. It has become abundantly clear that the funding ACHD receives from the county and commonwealth are also insufficient to cover the cost of administering the non-Title V side of ACHD’s Air Quality Program, it is entirely appropriate that the polluting facilities that require time and resources from the Air Quality Program pay fees that cover the cost of that time and those resources. We told members of the Board of Health and we want you to know, too: A vote to approve the revised fee schedule is a vote for clean air and a vote for an improved quality of life for residents living in front-line communities plagued by industrial pollution. A yes vote on this proposal is also a vote of confidence for the rank-and-file employees of ACHD who must be equipped with the resources they need to effectively do their jobs. Thank you. Comments can be emailed to Ken.Varhola@alleghenycounty.us . You can also contact your personal council representative here.  GASP has already submitted formal comments and is planning to attend the Oct. 22 meeting to speak in support of the fee schedule changes. Please save the date if you’d like to join us!  Questions? Concerns? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at amanda@gasp-pgh.org .

Dear Fellow Breathers, We've got more work to do. Last night, Allegheny County Council remanded the proposal to fully fund our Air Quality Program back to the Health and Human Services Committee for further discussion. That punt, which you can read about here , came after myriad members of the public urged council to vote YES on the proposal. GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell was among those who submitted addressed council, asking members to greenlight the revised permit fee schedule. Here are his full comments: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit organization working to improve our regional air quality since 1969.   Today, I am here to urge you to vote yes on Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality permit fee schedule expected to help buoy enforcement and compliance efforts.   It is important to note that the updated fee schedule was approved nearly unanimously by the Board of Health and was subject to a public comment period where it received robust support from residents, nonprofits, and elected officials like the Allegheny County Controller.   While there are emotional arguments to be made about the importance of equipping our Air Quality Program with the resources and staffing, the decision you are making tonight is straight-forward.   ACHD has been delegated the authority to enforce federal and state laws and regulations regarding air pollution controls in Allegheny County such as the Clean Air Act. And the Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to carry out its duties.   As demonstrated at myriad meetings by Deputy Director Geoff Rabinowitz, ACHD currently does not have adequate funding as evidenced by an anticipated $1.8 million budget shortfall.   The Clean Air Act is clear on who needs to pay. In fact, the law requires ACHD to charge Title V facilities fees that are sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program. And again, Mr. Rabinowitz explained in detail at several meetings how those fees are currently NOT sufficient to fund the program.   It’s also become evident that state and county funding streams are not sufficient to cover the costs of administering the non-Title V side of the air quality program. We believe it’s entirely appropriate - and common sense- for ACHD to charge the polluting facilities requiring the time and resources of our air quality program to actually pay for that time and those resources.   You’re likely going to hear plenty of balking from industry, which is fond of cherry-picking percentages they hope will alarm you enough to make a knee-jerk reaction and vote no on a proposal that has already been approved by the Board of Health and in the court of public opinion. Let’s be clear: A no vote tonight is a vote against public health. It’s a vote against the dedicated men and women in the Air Quality Program who work to monitor our air and enforce our air pollution control laws.   Please know that a no vote tonight will be remembered by your constituents, who just this week have dealt with another abysmal bout of air quality, including four straight days of H2S exceedances as well as the year’s first exceedance of the sulfur dioxide standard.   Clearly, the Air Quality Program has work to do. Please vote YES and help them get that work done. Stay tuned. Plans to engage council are underway. We'll keep you posted.