The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) assessed a civil penalty of more than $19,000 against two Pittsburgh-area contractors recently for violating local asbestos-related air pollution regulations. In a Jan. 8 enforcement order against CPR Holdings of Gibsonia and Flynn Construction Management General Contracting Inc. of Pittsburgh posted to the health department website this week, ACHD officials outlined the companies’ nine air pollution control act violations. The violations and associated fine stem from the demolition of a commercial structure on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh in 2018. The enforcement order indicates that the companies failed to complete required asbestos surveys and notification forms, and worse – failed to protect workers who were removing asbestos-containing materials during the demolition. In the enforcement order, ACHD said CPR Holdings and Flynn Construction Management General Contracting also violated local asbestos-related air quality violations by: Failing to post asbestos warning signs at all entrances to the structure Failing to prepare a worksite prior to asbestos-containing material being removed from the site Failing to install a decontamination enclosure system where workers could properly decontaminate themselves before exiting the work site Failing to use ACHD-approved work practices for removal of the asbestos-containing material The order against CPR Holdings and Flynn Construction was one of a spate of asbestos-related enforcement actions taken by ACHD so far this year. Other actions included: A Jan. 22 enforcement order against Sixth Ward Flats of Pittsburgh, Costa Contracting of Cheswick, and Nelcon, Inc. of Glenshaw for demolishing a commercial structure without submitting a required asbestos-abatement form or notifying the county within 10 days of demolition as mandated. ACHD assessed a $1,350 penalty for the county air pollution control infractions – $350 of which was levied because prior enforcement action had been taken against them in the past two years. A Jan. 22 enforcement order against Mark German of Canonsburg and South Park-based Schaaf Excavating Contractors included a $715 fine. The fine stemmed from the demolition of a commercial structure on West Carson Street. ACHD said German and the company failed to submit required asbestos-related paperwork. The county air pollution control act requires companies to notify ACHD 10 days prior to demolition commencing – something German and Schaaf Excavating also failed to do, according to the enforcement order. By way of background, asbestos is the name of a collection of silicate minerals used in many products throughout the 20th century. Everything from cement to shingles was made with asbestos because of its strength and resistance to heat. ACMs were used in residential and commercial settings for decades, even after the carcinogenic effects of this fiber became apparent in humans. It wasn’t until the 1980s that asbestos was partially banned from being used in the United States in new building materials. However, some products are still permitted to use small amounts of asbestos and, as we’ve recently seen with products containing talcum powder, asbestos still contaminates consumer products. When asbestos is left undisturbed it does not pose a health risk. If asbestos pipe insulation, for example, is intact and has not deteriorated, it’s likely not affecting indoor air quality. If that pipe insulation were falling apart and the fibers became friable and airborne, this creates a potentially dangerous situation.

The values in red are indicative of exceedances of the state H2S standard of 0.005 ppm. Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 1:46 p.m. Thursday, March 11 to include information from a press release issued by residents of the Mon Valley and Clean Water Action. It probably won’t come as a surprise to our friends in the Mon Valley who suffered through what was at one point the worst air quality in the nation yesterday: Allegheny County experienced more air quality exceedances Wednesday – this time because of high levels of hydrogen sulfide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). For the third straight day Wednesday, preliminary data show concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at Allegheny County Health Department’s Liberty air quality monitor exceeded the state’s 24-hour standard with an average concentration of 0.008 ppm. The Pennsylvania limit is 0.005 ppm. That makes seven H2S exceedances so far in Allegheny County – four at the Liberty monitor and three more at North Braddock. But that’s not all: For the first time this year concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded the federal health-based standard for ambient air. Preliminary data show the 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration at the Liberty monitor Wednesday was 44.6 ug/m3. The standard is 35 ug/m3. Despite the exceedance of this health-based standard – and a health department air dispersion report Tuesday that predicted a moderate to strong surface inversion Wednesday – the public received no heads up from Allegheny County, which regularly communicates to residents various hazards through its Alerts system. “This exceedance underscores the need for strong episodic weather regulations and better communications by the ACHD to let residents know when air is unhealthy,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. For those who might not be following the issue: ACHD has for the last year been crafting regulations that would help curtail industry emissions when short-term weather events are expected to exacerbate poor air quality. It’s something GASP has advocated for not only in the past year, but over the past several decades. “We’ll say it as many times as we need to in order to get these regs passed: ACHD badly needs an emission-reduction plan in place that could be implemented within 24 hours of notice that a public health hazard exists,” she said. Then last month, the Air Advisory Committee voted to table the regulations, sending the draft back to the regulation subcommittee for more specifics. Filippini, who serves on the committee, stressed that while there was merit in having one more discussion to hash out details, what isn’t acceptable is letting the regulations languish in meeting after meeting. For inquiring minds who want to know: The next regulation subcommittee is scheduled to meet on March 23 – we’ll share the agenda and details on how to join the meeting as soon as that information is available. “In the meantime, there’s nothing preventing ACHD from warning folks when air quality will be in the orange and red through their social media channels and the Alert system,” Filippini said. Meanwhile, residents in the Mon Valley in a press release Thursday afternoon expressed their frustration with ongoing poor air quality and demanded action from U.S. Steel (the largest pollution source in the Mon Valley) and Allegheny County officials. “When we have bad air days, we’re limited like prisoners in our homes,” Cindy Meckel, a Glassport resident with Valley Clean Air Now, said. “This has to stop.” Clairton resident Jacqueline Mills sent an email yesterday to County Executive Rich Fitzgerald which read in part: “As a resident and grandmother in Clairton I am always concerned about the air and its effects on my 6 grandchildren. There have been so many days over the previous summers that they couldn’t play outside because of air quality! As adults we know the importance of outdoor play for growing children. Please help our city improve the air quality for future generations.” PA Director of Clean Water Action Myron Arnowitt said Mon Valley residents are looking for leadership in Allegheny – whether in industry or government – to ensure the public’s health is protected. “We need to stop pretending this problem has been solved, and take action that will have an impact on the kind of dangerous levels of pollution we’re seeing this week,” he said. GASP joins Clean Water Action in reminding residents that when air quality is at unhealthy levels that they should avoid time outdoors. EPA has identified especially vulnerable groups as children, seniors, and people with a respiratory or heart condition. In the Mon Valley this is roughly half the population. To sign up for Allegheny Alerts visit: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085611110/login Bookmark this page to access ACHD’s the online portal to make an air quality complaint. We graphed the data for those who’d like to take a deeper dive:

A Neville Island cement company was assessed a civil penalty of $7,150 for what the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) described as an open-air release of cement following an equipment breakdown. Kosmos Cement Co., a subsidiary of Kentucky-based Eagle Materials that operates a terminal facility in the township, failed to report an Oct. 5, 2020 valve failure that spurred the emissions event – one that came to the department’s attention thanks to a visual emissions complaint. ACHD said that wasn’t the only way the company violated county air pollution regulations: Kosmos also failed to submit mandated breakdown reports to the department. According to a March 5 enforcement order posted on the health department’s website on Tuesday night, Kosmos was required to submit an initial report within 60 minutes of the breakdown. It also failed to submit a follow-up report that was due to ACHD within seven days of the incident. But that’s not all: The enforcement order indicates that Kosmos also failed to submit a timely and complete semi-annual report regarding emissions data from Jan. 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020. “Kosmos indicated that the monitoring data was lost and nonrecoverable and was attributed to the transfer of ownership that occurred on March 7, 2020,” the enforcement order reads. It should be noted that a $650 penalty was assessed because of Kosmos’ low degree of cooperation, which was described as, “reluctant, slow, took some corrective action but not all reasonable action.”

Smell something foul in your neighborhood? If you live in the Mon Valley that’s probably a resounding, “YES.” Terrible air quality has plagued the area since Monday. Concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at the Allegheny County Health Department’s Liberty air quality monitor exceeded the state’s 24-hour standard on Monday with an average concentration of 0.006 ppm. The Pennsylvania limit is 0.005 ppm. Two exceedances of that standard occurred on Tuesday, as well, – with concentrations of 0.008 ppm at the Liberty monitor and 0.012 ppm at the North Braddock monitor. Overnight and into this morning Air Quality Index (AQI) soared into the red, unhealthy-for-all range, driven by concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Preliminary data showed a peak from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. of 125 ug/m3 and an average concentration of 76.1 ug/m3 from 9 p.m. Tuesday through today 6 a.m. today. The federal 24-hour standard for PM2.5 is 35 μg/m3. “The Allegheny County Health Department must do a better job communicating these air quality matters to the public,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “Both Monday and Tuesday’s air dispersion reports said a moderate to strong morning surface inversion was expected. Yet, there was no alert about either the exceedances or the expected bad air.” You may recall: Allegheny County’s first exceedance in 2021 of the 24-hour H2S standard occurred Feb. 21, after an extremely high one-hour H2S concentration at North followed by a few more bad hours drove the daily average to 0.010 ppm (twice the state standard). A second exceedance occurred on March 3, following a similar pattern.

Allegheny County Health Department has issued two enforcement orders against U.S. Steel for violating local air pollution regulations – violations that led to ACHD assessing nearly $13,000 in civil penalties. A Jan. 25 enforcement order posted to the ACHD website Tuesday evening detailed a failed Oct. 19, 2019, stack test at Clairton Coke Works’ C Battery where emissions for filterable particulate matter exceeded the limit established in U.S. Steel’s installation permit. The equipment was retested on Feb. 27, 2020, and again demonstrated failure to comply. A second retest conducted on June 16, 2020, indicated compliance. ACHD assessed a civil penalty of $8,800. On Feb. 19 the health department issued a second enforcement order against U.S. Steel – this time for the company’s failure to submit a report about a May 26, 2020, equipment breakdown that led to “a release into the open air of approximately 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia.” A quick word on anhydrous ammonia: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified it as a toxic chemical. “Accidental ammonia releases cause injuries and death to employees, emergency response personnel, and people in surrounding communities,” the EPA wrote in a safety manual about the air toxic. “Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive, and exposure to it may result in chemical-type burns to skin, eyes, and lungs.” The enforcement order notes that county air pollution regulations require companies like U.S. Steel to report equipment failures that lead to open-air releases within 60 minutes. ACHD noted that U.S. Steel notified both federal and state officials, but that “As of the date of this order, U.S. Steel has not submitted a breakdown report…for the equipment failure.” A civil penalty of $4,165 was assessed. “These non-compliance issues with U.S. Steel are concerning but not surprising – we have seen a pattern of violations going back decades,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “The ongoing emissions issues and lack of transparency over equipment breakdowns – like the one that led to the high-profile 2019 fire – is shameful for a company that claims it ‘lives its core value of environmental stewardship.’”

Editor’s Note: The deadline to submit public comments regarding the U.S. Steel permits was 11:59 p.m. March 15. Right now, the Allegheny County Health Department is seeking public comment on a draft installation permit for an upgraded Pushing Emissions Control (PEC) Baghouse at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works – and we need YOUR help to ensure it does what it is intended to do: Reduce emissions coming from the Mon Valley-based facility. The deadline to submit formal comments regarding the upgraded piece of equipment – known as a PEC Baghouse for short – is March 15. But let’s back up for a minute and explain: A PEC Baghouse reduces emissions that result when finished coke is pushed out of an oven by collecting them with a hooded vent and running the emissions stream through a fabric filter to collect particulate matter. Those who’ve been following the issue may recall that this facility upgrade was mandated as part of the controversial June 27, 2019, settlement agreement between U.S. Steel and ACHD related to ongoing air quality issues at the Clairton Coke Works. Specifically, that agreement required U.S. Steel to upgrade the PEC Baghouse for Batteries 13-15 and 19-20 at the facility. U.S. Steel claims that the upgraded baghouse should collect particulate emissions with about 95 percent efficiency, as opposed to the 90 percent efficient existing PEC system. Here’s the issue, though: Despite this so-called “upgrade,” the PEC Baghouse will remain subject to the same limit of particulate matter per ton of coke produced. “In its application for the Installation Permit, U.S. Steel projects that the volume of coke it produces at Batteries 13-15 and 19-20 will increase substantially following the installation of the new PEC Baghouse,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained. “Unfortunately, this means the projected increase in production will outstrip the pollution control benefits of the upgraded PEC Baghouse.” Here’s what you need to understand: U.S. Steel projects that following the upgrade, particulate matter emissions from the baghouse will increase by 30.8 tons/year, and that sulfur dioxide emissions from the PEC Baghouse will increase by 43.4 tons/year. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced earlier this year that all eight air quality monitors in Allegheny County have met federal air quality standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone, and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10). Even though air quality monitors in the county have measured attainment for particulate matter, they have not for sulfur dioxide, and the EPA has not yet determined that the county is in fact in attainment for PM2.5. “When it reviews an application for an Installation Permit, ACHD must determine whether any increased pollution from the new source will impermissibly hinder attainment of the NAAQS,” Baillie explained. “ In nonattainment areas, this determination is made under what’s known as Nonattainment New Source Review regulations. These regulations apply if installation of the new source would cause a ‘net emissions increase’ that is ‘significant.’” Because the Nonattainment New Source Review regulations impose additional burdens on major sources of air pollution when they apply, operators will do what they can to avoid claiming that a project will cause a “net emissions increase” that is “significant.” For context: A “net emissions increase” occurs if the projected actual emissions from the new source will exceed the baseline actual emissions from what it replaced. A “net emissions increase” is “significant” if it exceeds 10 tons/year of particulate matter or 40 tons/year of sulfur dioxide. Notably, in calculating projected actual emissions, the Nonattainment New Source Review regulations allow a source to request a “demand growth exclusion.” This type of exclusion allows it to exclude the portion of the unit’s emissions following completion of the project that existing units could have accommodated that is also unrelated to the particular project, including all increased utilization due to product demand growth. We noted above that the projected actual emissions of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide from the upgraded PEC Baghouse at Clairton will exceed the baseline actual emissions by 30.8 tons/year and 43.4 tons/year, respectively. “By themselves, those increases would trigger application of the Nonattainment New Source Review regulations,” Baillie said. However, U.S. Steel has claimed demand growth exclusions of 21.9 tons/year of particulate matter (equating to 71 percent of the projected increased emissions) and 4.2 tons/year of sulfur dioxide (equating to less than 10 percent of the projected increased emissions). The claimed demand growth exclusions reduce the projected emission increases that are purportedly attributable to the PEC Baghouse upgrade to 9.9 tons/year of particulate matter and 39.2 tons/year of sulfur dioxide – increases that are just below the threshold that would trigger the application of Nonattainment New Source Review Regulations. “The bottom line is that U.S. Steel’s permit application does not explain why the same projected increased demand for the Clairton Plant’s products is responsible for 71 percent of the projected increase in particulate emissions from the PEC Baghouse, but only 10 percent of the projected increase in the PEC Baghouse’s sulfur dioxide emissions,” Baillie said. “Indeed, U.S. Steel’s permit application for the PEC Baghouse upgrade does not explain or document the demand growth exclusions that it has claimed in its permit application at all,” Baillie added. “It thus appears that U.S. Steel may have jiggered the numbers to avoid application of those regulations.” This is where we are asking for YOUR help: We’re calling on all Allegheny County residents concerned about emissions from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works to let ACHD know that this is not acceptable. If U.S. Steel wants to claim demand growth exclusions for the PEC Baghouse upgrade project at the Clairton Plant, it needs to document or otherwise justify those exclusions. If it cannot do so, the PEC Baghouse project must comply with the NNSR regulations. GASP is making it as simple as we can to make your voice heard on this issue with the below form, which will route your public comment about U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works directly to ACHD. Use our included sample language and add your own: Editor's Note: The deadline to submit a public comment has passed.

Ambient air concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exceeded Pennsylvania’s 24-hour standard in North Braddock and Liberty on Wednesday according to Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) air quality monitoring data. Concentrations of H2S were so high in North Braddock that by 4:00 a.m. yesterday it was mathematically impossible *not* to exceed the 0.005 ppm standard, a figure that is averaged over an entire day. Although concentrations were down to 0.000 ppm for most of the afternoon Wednesday, overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning concentrations of H2S were especially awful, averaging 0.035 ppm from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas with a pungent, rotten egg odor that’s long been an issue for communities adjacent to and downwind of industrial sources like U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Edgar Thomson facility. “Most concerning may be the insane one-hour peak at the North Braddock monitor from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday of 0.077 ppm,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. For context: That peak is the third-highest one-hour H2S concentration ACHD has recorded in the past five years, according to preliminary Allegheny County Health Department air quality data. Allegheny County’s first exceedance in 2021 of the 24-hour H2S standard occurred Feb. 21, after another instance where an extremely high one-hour H2S concentration at North Braddock – this time 0.071 ppm – followed by a few more bad hours drove the daily average to 0.010 ppm (twice the state standard). “Two of the worst seven one-hour H2S concentrations recorded by the Allegheny County Health Department since January 2016 have occurred in the past 11 days,” noted GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy. “For some perspective, ACHD has reported over 44,000 hourly H2S readings during that period.” These high values beg the question: What is happening in North Braddock to cause these issues? ACHD only located an H2S monitor there in December 2020. The department did not offer its reasoning publicly for the addition but the announcement this past fall of increased monitoring around U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke and Edgar Thomson facilities for hazardous air pollutants suggests that both moves reflect concern about emissions from those facilities. Both of these developments were welcomed changes but a lack of transparency when it comes to enforcing air quality regulations and permit conditions continues to frustrate concerned residents. “It’s bad enough that the public is still waiting to see if an enforcement action will be issued against U.S. Steel for high-profile emissions events this past summer at Edgar Thomson,” Filippini said. “But we are also waiting for a substantive public update regarding a compliance plan promised by the health department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency following a 2017 joint notice of violation.” GASP calls on ACHD to investigate these short-term spikes in hydrogen sulfide and convey its findings to the public as soon as possible.

The Allegheny County Board of Health on Wednesday greenlighted increases for air quality permit fees and set the price tag for 14 new fees related to the permitting process – changes that are expected to help buoy enforcement and compliance efforts. The board voted 4-2 in support of the fee changes, which now head to Allegheny County Council for final approval. Dr. Kotayya Kondaveeti and Anthony Ferraro cast the dissenting votes. Absent were board Chairman Dr. Lee Harrison and members Joylette L. Portlock and Dr. Ellen C. Stewart. Allegheny County Health Department’s revised fee schedule largely mirrors those approved by the state that went into effect this past January. ACHD Deputy of Environmental Health Jim Kelly made this point clear to board members, reminding them that all counties in Pennsylvania except Allegheny have already adopted the fees. The DEP was adamant that the new changes were necessary for its air quality program to adequately administer and enforce air pollution laws in the 65 of the state’s 67 counties (excluding Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties) for which it is responsible. Why? Because the state Air Quality Program is funded by the fees that it charges rather than by general tax revenues. For its part, ACHD Air Quality staff made the same argument about the necessity of the new and increased fees. “We made sure we were in lockstep with the state,” Kelly told the board, adding that the updated fee schedule was based on an in-depth analysis of personnel and other resources needed to adequately enforce permits for air pollution sources. Despite a lengthy, detailed report from Kelly showing exactly why the increases are needed – because of inflation, the need for seven new staffers in the past two years, and perhaps most importantly because of a federal requirement stipulating that major sources pay the costs associated with Title V facilities – Dr. Kondaveeti balked at the increases and what the response from industry might be. Board member William Youngblood, who presided over the meeting in Dr. Harris’ absence, agreed in part, telling Kelly: “I think you’re going to have a lot of problems getting this passed through council.” Kondaveeti then lamented that some industrial sources of air pollution in the area have experienced economic setbacks because of COVID-19, and cautioned fellow board members that they could get “backlash” for approving what he deemed to be drastic fee increases. But board member Dr. Edith Shapira shot back, telling him that the changes were long overdue and that there has been a steady outcry from the public regarding air pollution and how it impacts their health. “I think it would be a great mistake to delay this,” she said. As for Dr. Kondaveeti’s comment that businesses are already suffering, Shapira added that “it can just as easily be said” that from a health standpoint, residents in frontline communities and beyond have been harmed by emissions because that exposure puts them at greater risk for COVID-19. The proposed amendments now head to Allegheny County Council for final approval. Kelly said he was optimistic they could be approved at council’s May meeting. What would those fees do if finally approved? They would increase application fees for plan approvals, operation permits, and the annual administration fees charged to operating permit holders that were based on a schedule set all the way back in the 1990s and last increased 14 years ago. The proposed fee schedule is tiered, with the first set of increases going into effect 60 days after final adoption through 2025. The fees then increase in 2026 and then again in 2031. If finally approved, the plan would for the first time impose fees on major and minor sources of air pollution seeking: revisions to plant-wide applicability limits; ambient air impact modeling done in connection with certain plan approval applications risk assessments; and requests for determination GASP supports the proposed fee schedule changes and hopes that their final approval will provide for more robust enforcement. “GASP believes revisions to the fee schedule are necessary for the Air Quality Program to be able to fulfill its mission of protecting air quality in Allegheny County,” GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy said. “A lack of funding from regulated and government sources should not impede the Air Quality Program’s essential work.” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini agreed, saying the board of health’s affirmative vote means the county is one step closer to a more appropriately funded Air Quality Program. “The Clean Air Act requires that the fees imposed on Title V sources in Allegheny County be ‘sufficient to cover all reasonable (direct and indirect) costs required to develop and administer’ the health department’s Title V permit program,” she said. “Because ACHD’s Air Quality Program receives little or no funding from Allegheny County itself, the fees paid by non-Title V sources in the County must also generate sufficient revenue to fund the non-Title V side of the Program – making these changes kind of a no-brainer.” GASP looks forward to working with our friends on Allegheny County Council to get these much-needed fee changes finally approved. Check back – we’ll need your help and your voice to get it done!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week the availability of up to $6 million in grant funding under The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program and The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program. “These grants are crucial to supporting vulnerable and overburdened communities disproportionately affected by environmental health risks,” Office of Environmental Justice Director Matthew Tejada. “With renewed leadership to address environmental justice under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are excited to support community efforts to address historically challenging issues.” EPA will be giving special consideration to the following focus areas: Addressing COVID-19 concerns faced by low-income communities and communities of color Climate Change and Natural Disaster Resiliency outreach and planning New applicants to either opportunity Ports Initiative to assist people living and working near ports across the country Small non-profits The EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program’s total estimated funding for this opportunity is approximately $3.2 million. EPA anticipates awarding two cooperative agreements of $160,000 each within each of the 10 EPA Regions. To learn more about pre-application assistance calls and how to apply for funding, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0. The EJSG Program estimates approximately $2.8 million will be awarded to approximately five applications per EPA region in amounts of up to $50,000 per award. This includes the EPA’s Ports Initiative program that anticipates funding up to six additional projects that address clean air issues at coastal and inland ports or rail yards. To learn more about pre-application assistance calls and how to apply for funding, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-small-grants-program. Applicants interested in either opportunity must submit proposal packages on or before May 7, 2021, to be considered for the available funding. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on Oct. 1, 2021. For more information on environmental justice grants, funding, and technical assistance: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance

It’s been said a hundred different ways over the years, but the old cliche still rings true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s never more true than in matters of health – and is particularly relevant when you’re talking about cancer. By now, we should all know the importance of not only prevention but early detection of cancer. You might not know it but in Pennsylvania, the “understand prevention and early detection” reminder is especially important: The Department of Health lamented in its 2019 “The Burden of Cancer in Pennsylvania” report that the disease remained the second-leading cause of death here in the Keystone State. Because February is National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month we wanted to put the spotlight on an air quality-related cancer culprit flying under the radar: Radon, which also happens to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in Pennsylvania. Radon also has the distinction of being the leading cause of lung cancer deaths nationally among nonsmokers, killing 21,000 people every year. It might not be the stuff of headlines, but radon is a real problem in Pennsylvania, where 40 percent of homes have concentrations above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action guideline of 4 picocuries per liter. Our geology makes Pennsylvania ripe for the stuff – there are locations throughout the state that are hotspots for radon, a substance that occurs naturally during the breakdown of uranium in the ground. It seeps into homes through cracks in the foundation and other openings. “They call radon a silent killer for a reason,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “When we host educational seminars, people are often surprised how common radon is in this part of the state and how important it is to test your home to determine if you are at risk.” Fortunately, radon tests can be found at most major home retailers, Amazon, and other online vendors at reasonable prices.  If you test your home and your results indicate a radon level of more than 4 picocuries per liter of air, it’s recommended that you implement a radon-reduction system. You can learn more about that on the DEP website. Something that you will never hear us say at GASP is, ‘Take our word for it.' So, please don’t take our word on how important prevention and early detection are when it comes to radon and lung cancer. We ask that you do, however, to listen to our friend Jackie Nixon, whose recent experience with radon exposure and a lung cancer diagnosis is worth hearing: I found out that many people don’t know about radon and how it can affect them. As a result of my reading and talking with various people and organizations that have been so helpful in providing information, I became a Pennsylvania Radon Awareness Advocate for Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3). More education and legislation need to happen at the local level and the information must get into the hands of more people. The moment that inspired all of this was a home inspector who asked me, “Did you ever hear about radon?” Since then, I questioned why I am surviving so well. How was I able to walk away with no chemo, radiation, or medication? I came to realize that the key was getting checked out early. The key was the early detection of cancer-causing agents like radon. I also came to realize that the function of early detection could be greater than chemotherapy, radiation, and medication! Just by asking a simple question, a series of events spiraled into actions. Giving someone a brochure or taking the time to talk with them about the issue could save a life. Just when I thought I was about to lose mine, I found PURPOSE. Maybe I can help someone through early detection. For me, this is my way of paying it forward. I’m Stage 1 and five years cancer-free! So how can you reduce your risk? Two things: Test for radon and talk to your doctor about any concerns you might have about air quality that could be impacting your health. Editor’s Note: Here are some recent studies for those who’d like to take a deeper dive into the subject: Outdoor air pollution and cancer: An overview of the current evidence and public health recommendations Air pollution as a major risk factor for cancer How Can Air Pollution Cause Cancer? Air Pollution in Relation to U.S. Cancer Mortality Rates: An Ecological Study; Likely Role of Carbonaceous Aerosols and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Contribution of environmental factors to cancer risk