The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy today announced that applications are open for $850 million in federal funding for projects that will help monitor, measure, quantify and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors. Oil and natural gas facilities are the nation's largest industrial source of methane, a climate super pollutant that is many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for approximately one-third of the warming from greenhouse gasses occurring today. This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—will help mitigate legacy air pollution, create good jobs in the energy sector and disadvantaged communities, reduce waste and inefficiencies in U.S. oil and gas operations, and realize near-term emissions reductions, helping the United States reach its climate and clean air goals. The funding will specifically help small oil and natural gas operators reduce methane emissions and transition to available and innovative methane emissions reduction technologies, while also supporting partnerships that improve emissions measurement and provide accurate, transparent data to impacted communities. The primary objectives of this funding opportunity announcement are to: Help small operators significantly reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations, using commercially available technology solutions for methane emissions monitoring, measurement, quantification and mitigation. Accelerate the repair of methane leaks from low-producing wells and the deployment of early-commercial technology solutions to reduce methane emissions from new and existing equipment such as natural gas compressors, gas-fueled engines, associated gas flares, liquids unloading operations, handling of produced water and other equipment leakage. Improve communities' access to empirical data and participation in monitoring through multiple installations of monitoring and measurement technologies while establishing collaborative relationships between equipment providers and communities. Enhance the detection and measurement of methane emissions from oil and gas operations at regional scale, while ensuring nationwide data consistency through the creation of collaborative partnerships. These partnerships will span the country's oil and gas-producing regions and draw in oil and natural gas owners and operators, universities, environmental justice organizations, community leaders, unions, technology developers, Tribes, state regulatory agencies, non-governmental research organizations, federally funded research and development centers and DOE's National Laboratories. Funding applicants are required to submit Community Benefits Plans to demonstrate meaningful engagement with and tangible benefits to the communities in which the proposed projects will be located. These plans must provide details on the applicant's commitments to community and labor engagement, quality job creation, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and benefits to disadvantaged communities as part of the Justice40 Initiative. Established in Executive Order 14008, the President's Justice40 Initiative set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Here's everything you need to know about the funding opportunity.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week released its 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, which describes agency actions to address the impacts of climate change and help build a more climate-resilient nation. The plan builds on work initiated in the 2014 and 2021 EPA Climate Adaptation Plans to incorporate climate adaptation into the agency's programs, policies, rules, enforcement activities and operations. Highlights from EPA's 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan include: Fostering a Climate-Ready Workforce – EPA is building a climate-literate workforce through ongoing education and training and to ensure staff are equipped with an understanding of projected climate impacts, the vulnerability of EPA programs to these impacts, and adaptation approaches. One example is the agency-wide Climate Conversations webinar series helping to build a community of practice and encourage peer-to-peer sharing of experiences. Building Facility Resilience – EPA is continuing to conduct facility resiliency assessments to identify vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change and make recommendations to increase facility resilience. Developing Climate-Resilient Supply Chains – EPA has included an assessment of climate hazard risk as part of its overall Agency Supply Chain Risk Management plan. The agency plans to conduct supply chain risk assessments under the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act and Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act in fiscal year 2024. Integrating Climate Resilience into External Funding Opportunities – EPA is modernizing its financial assistance programs to encourage investments by communities and Tribes that are more resilient in an era of climate change.  To support this effort, EPA launched an internal Climate-Resilient Investments Clearinghouse website to help managers of financial assistance programs incorporate climate adaptation and resilience considerations in the investment decisions EPA makes each day. Applying Climate Data and Tools to Decision Making – EPA is equipping communities and the recipients of financial resources with the tools, data, information and technical support they need to assess their climate risks and develop the climate-resilience solutions most appropriate for them. Integrating Climate Adaptation into Rulemaking Processes – EPA is integrating climate adaptation into its rulemaking processes where appropriate and in keeping with our statutory authorities to ensure they are effective even as the climate changes. For example, on March 14, 2024, EPA finalized a rule requiring a broad array of facilities that manage hazardous materials to develop response plans to prepare for the largest foreseeable discharges in adverse weather conditions, including more extreme weather conditions expected as the climate changes. EPA is also committed to applying climate change and environmental justice policy principles through National Environmental Policy Act reviews. Check out the EPA's plan here.

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Thursday issued a demand for more than $75,000 in stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel for air quality violations that occurred at its Clairton Coke Works facility. The demand letter, dated Thursday, is for charging, soaking, visible emissions and other violations that occurred during the first quarter of 2023. “Same as it ever was,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “U.S. Steel pretends to be a good neighbor, yet its Clairton plant racks up tens of thousands of dollars in violations. Not surprised over here.” GASP staff is reviewing the demand letter now. You can check it out here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a proposed rule that will finally (we hope!) implement the 2010 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide (SO2) in our region. Specifically, the proposed rule would approve a revision to Pennsylvania’s State Implementation Plan - the set of federally approved regulations that govern air quality in the state. That revision will reduce hourly emission limits for sulfur dioxide from the region’s three remaining coal-fired electric generating units: The Conemaugh Generating Station in Indiana County, Keystone Generating Station in Armstrong County, and Seward Generating Station in Westmoreland County. The proposed rule also addresses operating limits at the Homer City Generating Station, even though that facility ceased operations in 2023. That’s because the facility has not yet surrendered its Title V Operating Permit. All four EGUs are located in the Indiana Nonattainment Area, which was designated as nonattainment for the 2010 SO2 NAAQS back in 2013. “The history of the proposed rule shows just how long it can take for requirements imposed by the Clean Air Act to have real world impacts,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie said. “The rule’s background is nearly as convoluted as it is long.” However, he said the key development was a 2021 decision by the Biden Administration’s EPA to reconsider, and revise, a 2020 decision by the Trump Administration’s EPA to approve hourly SO2 emission limits at the EGUs. As now proposed, the hourly emission limits for SO2 at the EGUs will be as follows: at Conemaugh, SO2 emissions from its Units 1 and 2 will be limited to 3,080 lbs/hour, “combined in a three-hour block average,” down from 3,312 lbs/hour at Keystone, SO2 emissions from its Boilers 1 and 2 will be reduced from 9,600 lbs/hour to 8,328 lbs/hour, measured on a “24-hour block average;” and at Seward, SO2 emission from its two units will be reduced from 3,083.4 lbs/hour 2,895 lbs/hour, “based on a 30-day operating hours’ average rolling by one day.” How much impact the proposed new limits will have - assuming they are finally approved and go into effect - remains to be seen,” Baillie added. “The SO2 monitors closest to the EGUs have been measuring attainment of the 2010 SO2 NAAQS for several years even with higher limits in place.” EPA’s explanation of the proposed rule is available here. You can submit comments on the proposed rule at www.regulations.gov, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-R03-OAR-2024-0024, or by emailing goold.megan@epa.gov. Editor’s Note: Looking ahead, both the Conemaugh Generating Station and the Keystone Generating Station have announced plans to shut down on or before Dec. 31, 2028, when new wastewater discharge rules for coal-fired EGUs go into effect.

Allegheny County Health Department Acting Director Patrick Dowd will soon depart his role to take on the CEO position at the Environmental Charter School. His last day at ACHD is July 9, according to a news release issued Monday night. “I want to thank Patrick Dowd for his service at the Allegheny County Department of Health. He stepped up to serve the public during the COVID pandemic and continued to serve as Acting Director as my administration began, allowing for a smooth transition.” County Executive Sara Innamorato said. Dowd said it was his honor to work with ACHD but that he looks forward to returning to his roots in education in my next chapter, adding he was "confident the department is poised for success under its next leader.” Dowd started at ACHD in February 2021, initially serving as the department’s inaugural chief operating officer under then-director Dr. Debra Bogen. After Bogen departed to serve at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Dowd was named acting director. The Allegheny County Board of Health will meet in the coming weeks to vote on a nominee to serve as the next Director of Health Department. “ACHD has a vast set of responsibilities under its purview, from restaurant inspections to regulating asbestos remediation, and much more. Protecting public health is a top priority for my administration and I look forward to having a confirmed director in place to lead the department in the very near future,” Innamorato said. GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted.

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. The Allegheny County Health Department has issued yet an enforcement order against U.S. Steel - the 10th in the past two years - for emissions violations at its Clairton Coke Works facility. In an enforcement action dated May 3 but posted to the ACHD enforcement docket Thursday, ACHD said that sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions at the Clairton plant exceeded its permitted hourly limit following a biennial compliance test in September 2023. The department assessed a $7,700 civil penalty for the violation - $3,500 of which was levied because of U.S. Steel’s shoddy compliance record. U.S. Steel has 30 days to appeal the order and fine. You can read the enforcement order here. ALCOSAN Fined $2,500 for Exceeding Lead Emissions Limits The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (known as ALCOSAN for short) on May 3 was fined $2,500 for violating the terms of its Title V air quality operating permit. According to a May 3 ACHD enforcement order, ALCOSAN exceeded its emissions limits for lead from Oct. 9, 2023, to June 2, 2024. You can read the enforcement order here. ALCOSAN on June 11 appealed the order. You can read the appeal here. West Elizabeth-Based Synthomer Fined More Than $10K for VOC Emissions ACHD on Feb. 28 issued an enforcement order against West Elizabeth-based Synthomer (formerly Eastman Chemical) for exceeding its annual emissions limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for 2020, 2021, and 2022. The enforcement order also noted that Synthomer violated the terms of its installation permit after an equipment breakdown on Sept. 3, 2023 resulted in the release of about 7,400 pounds of what’s known as RHS vapor, which consists entirely of VOCs. For these violations, Synthomer was ordered to pay a $10,500 civil penalty. You can read the enforcement order here. Coraopolis Terminals Fined for Failure to Submit Required Reports by Deadline ACHD on Feb. 29 issued an enforcement order against Coraopolis Terminals for submitting its required annual certification of compliance by the deadline. The company submitted the report on Jan. 30, 2024 - 61 days after the Nov. 30 deadline. A civil penalty of $480 was assessed. You can read the enforcement order here. ACHD Issues Civil Penalty Against Contractor Following Demo at Clairton Coke Works ICC Commonwealth on Feb. 29 received a $1,170 civil penalty for failing to notify ACHD that demolition work it conducted at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility within the required 10-day window. According to the enforcement order, an ACHD representative observed demolition work occurring at the Battery C stack and contacted ICC Commonwealth and asked for - and received - the proper paperwork. You can read the enforcement order here. In addition… ACHD issued a notice of violation against Brunot Island Generating Station for failing to submit a timely breakdown report. Miracle Demolition and Stash Contracting, as well as Allen Demolition received asbestos-related enforcement actions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today announced the "National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics" as part of a whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change, feed people, address environmental justice, and promote a circular economy. GASP lauded the strategy released Wednesday, which provides tangible goals that the U.S. government partners along with retailers and consumers can work toward to help further prevent the loss and waste of food, increase recycling of food and other organic materials to support a more circular economy for all, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save households and businesses money, and build cleaner, healthier communities. Along with the FDA, USDA and EPA efforts, U.S. consumers and retailers play an important role in meeting the National Strategy's goal of reducing food loss and waste by 2030. As part of the release of this Strategy, the FDA has made important resources available to guide, support, and accelerate their food loss and waste activities including the 2022 Food Code, Tips to Reduce Food Waste and the Food Loss and Waste Social Media Toolkit. They encourage all stakeholders to take advantage of these resources as we work together to reduce food loss and waste. Recent EPA research shows that 58% of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from landfills are from food waste. Each year in the U.S., food loss and waste create potent greenhouse gas pollutants equal to the emissions of 60 coal-fired power plants. The strategy aims to prevent and divert organic waste from landfills to reduce GHG emissions and highlights opportunities, especially where there are environmental justice concerns, to build community-scale organics recycling infrastructure, reduce pollution and create jobs. You can read the full plan here.

For a time this morning, AirNow.gov showed the Liberty-Clairton area as having the worst NowCast Air Quality Index (AQI) in the nation when it soared to 156. According to the EPA, air quality in the affected area was “unhealthy,” meaning that people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens should have avoided strenuous outdoor activities, kept outdoor activities short, and considered moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them to reduce exposure to air pollutants. The EPA recommends that everyone else should choose less-strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard, shorten the amount of time you are active outside, and be active outdoors when air quality is better. ACHD is predicting conditions should improve this afternoon, but that air quality could again be poor overnight and early tomorrow. For those who might not be aware: ACHD publishes an air quality and air dispersion report daily. It can be viewed here. But wait, there’s more: Levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at the Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough were so high this morning that an exceedance of Pennsylvania’s 24-hour air quality standard is already guaranteed. For those keeping track: That makes 40 H2S exceedances at the Liberty monitor so far this year. There have been 15 other such exceedances at ACHD’s air quality monitor in North Braddock in 2021. We encourage those impacted by today’s unhealthy air quality and any associated odors to make a report to the Allegheny County Health Department. GASP has repeatedly asked ACHD to address these continued exceedances publicly. “Our members use words like ‘horrific’ and ‘awful’ to describe the air on days when H2S concentrations are high,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Transparency builds trust. The health department needs to step up and let residents know what it is doing to correct the issue because right now the silence is being taken for apathy.” Here’s a chart with details related to the H2S violations so far this year:

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions from large electric generating units. Right now, 11 states in the northeastern United States participate in the program, and Pennsylvania is looking to be the 12th. GASP has blogged regularly about the program, submitted formal comments on the regulation proposed by the Environmental Quality Board (EQB), and is now watching an unexpected turn of events. Here’s what’s going on: Last week, the full Pennsylvania Senate passed a Senate Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution that disapproves the RGGI regulations. But because the Senate’s action here doesn’t seem to be contemplated by Pennsylvania’s Regulatory Review Act, it is not at all clear what this might mean. According to a press release from Sen. Joe Pittman’s office (FYI: Pittman, R-District 41, is the vice chair of the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee), the concurrent resolution next moves to the state House of Representatives, which has a window of 10 legislative days or 30 calendar days to vote on the resolution. Also according to Senator Pittman: If the House passes the concurrent resolution, it will be presented to Gov. Tom Wolf. If he vetoes the resolution, it will then return to the Senate, which can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. But for the override of the veto to become fully effective, it must also receive a two-thirds majority in the House. But here’s the thing: Under the Regulatory Review Act, Pittman’s timeline is all wrong. “The House would seem to have had only until October 2, 2021 to vote to kill the RGGI regulations,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained. “The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee approved a concurrent resolution to kill the regulations on September 2, 2021, and the Act says that the full House must act on such an approved resolution within the earlier of 10 legislative days or 30 days on the calendar.” The Environmental Health Digest put it another way: “There is no provision in the Regulatory Review Act for a second time period to act on the resolution…This is not even debatable, but this Senate and House do what they want.” Further complicating matters, Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently announced his opposition to the RGGI regulations. Under the Regulatory Review Act, the office of the attorney general must review all regulations for “form and legality” before they take effect. “Even if the RGGI regulations survive the expected attempts by the House and Senate to prevent them from taking effect, they will face challenges in court,” Baillie added. Opposition to the RGGI regulation is generally based on the notions that: The regulation will drive up electricity prices in Pennsylvania That the regulation imposes a tax, which only the General Assembly (not the EQB or the Governor) has the constitutional power to levy; and That the EQB lacks the statutory authority to adopt the regulation under Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act. Despite the opposition of the General Assembly, RGGI has had an overwhelming amount of public support. Dozens of GASP members submitted comments in support of the RGGI, but you can still give the Legislature your 2 cents. While the people in Harrisburg sort out their mess, we encourage you to email your state Representative to let them know you support the RGGI and ask for a vote against Senate Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution 1. You can find contact information for your state representative here.

GASP attended the Allegheny County Board of Health meeting Wednesday to once again request that officials provide an update to the public about ongoing exceedances of the state hydrogen sulfide standard in the Mon Valley and what’s being done to stave off the associated rotten-egg stench. Here are the full comments presented by GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell: Dear Allegheny County Board of Health: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the new Executive Director at the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), an environmental watchdog organization that’s been working to improve air quality for more than 50 years. Thank you for the opportunity to present comments today. As you’re aware, GASP has come before this board to express our continued concerns about hydrogen sulfide (H2S) malodors impacting local residents in the Mon Valley. To the Allegheny County Health Department’s credit, there’s been a good faith effort to at least better understand the source of the odors through the deployment of additional H2S monitoring. But the need for more robust communication from the department to the general public about the H2S issue is still sorely needed. But residents who live in the Mon Valley (and those who reside downwind of it) have been clear: This year there’s been no reprieve from the rotten egg odor they are all too familiar with. Our members have told us as recently as last week about having to shutter their windows and avoid outdoor exercise on otherwise beautiful days because of the overwhelming stench. Frankly, this isn’t the way people should have to live in one of America’s so-called most livable cities. Despite improvement, air quality remains not only one of Allegheny County’s most pressing public health issues but also a quality-of-life problem. And I am here today to again implore the health department to do more to acknowledge these ongoing H2S exceedances, what is causing them, and what plan is in place to abate them. Numbers don’t lie: In all of 2020, Allegheny County had 25 exceedances of the PA’s hydrogen sulfide standard. Meanwhile, with more than two months left in 2021, there have already been 15 exceedances at the North Braddock monitor and 39 more at Liberty. The frequency of these air quality exceedances is truly a shame and a burden on local residents. But even more shameful is that the Allegheny County Health Department has remained largely silent on the issue. Yes, on April 1st, the ACHD issued a Notice of Violation against US Steel for exceedances of the hydrogen sulfide ambient air quality standard at the Liberty monitor. But we have heard nothing since and the H2S exceedances persist. Monitoring air quality data and alerting residents when something isn’t right is a duty GASP takes seriously, but we can only tell residents what the data say. We count on the health department to fill in the important details like the cause of these continually elevated levels of H2S and steps being taken to eliminate the issue. The simple fact is that air quality doesn’t have to be like this, and very recently wasn’t like this: Air quality monitor data show that over the first seven weeks of 2021, H2S levels were far lower compared to what we’ve experienced since. What chanWe wish we knew. But the fact remains that the public lacks the expertise to determine those answers. At the end of the day, ACHD is the sole party that has the capacity to resolve and address the issue. ACHD is planning to deploy additional H2S monitoring as part of a wider air quality study in the Mon Valley but the results can’t come soon enough for residents sick and tired of the stench – residents deserve answers now. And we are calling on ACHD to provide them. In other business, the Board of Health unanimously approved making more than $578,000 from the Clean Air Fund available to the Health Department to cover normal operating expenditures in 2021 per the ACHD’s request. Why that amount? Allegheny County’s air pollution regulations allow the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to use 5 percent of the Clean Air Fund balance annually to “fund the normal operating costs of the County’s Air Quality Program.”