Last fall we blogged about a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would walk back deadlines for phasing down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). For the uninitiated: HFCs are chemicals used largely as refrigerants (but also in the manufacture of semiconductors) that have greenhouse gas effects that are hundreds of times as potent as carbon dioxide. The EPA on May 26 finalized that rule. It should surprise no one that the final rule mirrors the proposed rule. On the other hand, the history of these regulations is remarkable. Here’s why: In 2015 and 2016, EPA under the Obama Administration promulgated regulations intended to phase down the use of HFCs, citing section 612 of the Clean Air Act as its authority for the regulations. However, section 612 deals with ozone-depleting substances only, and HFCs do not deplete ozone. Consequently, those regulations were challenged in court and struck down in 2017. In late 2020, Congress passed a bill that authorized EPA to promulgate regulations to impose a gradual, nationwide phase down on the production and consumption of HFCs, which President Trump signed into law. That law contemplated that federal regulations limiting the production and consumption of HFCs were to be promulgated following a “negotiated rulemaking” among EPA and stakeholders but also permitted EPA to forego the “negotiated rulemaking” based on petitions submitted to it. To be clear, in this context it is fair to conclude that “negotiated rulemaking” means that industry writes the rules. Under the Biden Administration EPA chose to forego the “negotiated rulemaking” and instead promulgated regulations in 2023 that limited the production and consumption of HFCs based on 12 petitions that were submitted by stakeholders, including state governments, environmentalists, and industrial producers and users of HFCs. These petitions generally sought to reinstate the requirements of the 2015 and 2016 Obama era regulations. “The pendulum has swung back to where it was in 2020,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. “The history of the HFC regulations shows not only that it is important to follow the law, but also that what one president can do with the stroke of a pen, the next president can undo the same way.”

GASP this week was deeply honored to help plan and attend a community forum at the Clairton Municipal Building. The meeting was called in response to the tragic August 11, 2025, explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, which claimed the lives of two workers, hospitalized others, and again shook the Mon Valley to its core. The turnout truly spoke volumes - the room was absolutely packed with folks demanding answers, transparency, and a safer future for the people who live and work in the shadow of the facility. The most significant update of the evening came directly from Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Director Dr. Iulia Vann. Acknowledging the long-standing community frustration over communication gaps during industrial accidents, she announced that the county is debuting a brand-new emergency alert platform called CodeRED. It will go live July 1. “This is tremendous news,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “GASP has long called on the health department to engage more quickly and more directly with residents during emergencies and bad-air events. We look forward to learning more and working with the county to make this tool as effective as possible.” In addition, Dr. Vann indicated that ACHD’s investigation into the explosion is still actively ongoing and that she could not speak publicly on any pending enforcement actions or fines stemming from the incident. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and helped organize the forum, and especially to the Clairton residents who filled the room. “Your presence sends an unmistakable message to both regulatory agencies and corporate polluters: the Mon Valley will not be silent,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. GASP will continue track the federal CSB (Chemical Safety Board) findings, and advocate for strict enforcement. We will also share update links and registration details for the CodeRED system as soon as they are officially released. Editor’s Note: You can find a detailed timeline of the explosion, as well as documents and news coverage, on our blog. If you missed the forum, and would like to view a recording, you can do so here.

At GASP we do more than just watch air quality and push back against industrial polluters’ illegal emissions. We also try to hold air quality regulators accountable for doing their jobs and fulfilling the duties that air pollution laws impose on them. This includes tracking how efficiently these regulators in Pennsylvania – specifically, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) – process permit applications for sources of air pollution (more on the significance of such permits below). Since 2018 we’ve researched and reported on the backlogs that exist at ACHD and at DEP’s six regional offices for processing applications for Title V Operating Permits, the permits that the Clean Air Act requires the largest sources of air pollution to have. “Notwithstanding DEP's claims from earlier this year that it eliminated its permit backlog, GASP’s investigation uncovered applications that were still pending for longer than the eighteen months allowed under the Clean Air Act and DEP's own regulations.” Understanding Title V Operating Permits: What They Are, Who Needs Them and Rules About How They’re Issued Operating permits for major sources of air pollution are required by Title V of the Clean Air Act and thus are commonly called Title V Operating Permits. A Title V Operating Permit for a particular facility must contain all the operating requirements that the air pollution laws impose on the facility. This helps facilitate compliance with those requirements – regulators and the public can use a facility’s Title V Operating Permit to see what requirements it has and to help determine whether the facility is complying with them. A major source must apply for a Title V Operating Permit once it begins normal operations and the permitting authority gives it notice that it must submit a permit application. A Title V Operating Permit is good for five years, and sources must apply to renew their Title V Operating Permits before their old ones expire. The Clean Air Act, Pennsylvania’s air pollution control rules, and Allegheny County’s air pollution control regulations all require that the agency responsible for issuing Title V Operating Permits finish its review of any complete permit application within 18 months. Notably, the Clean Air Act allows a source that has submitted a complete application for a Title V Operating Permit to continue to operate pending the responsible agency’s final approval of the application, even if agency approval takes years. The Clean Air Act also requires that the operations of the state and local programs that administer Title V Operating Permits be funded entirely from the emissions and permit fees paid by the sources subject to the requirements of Title V. We first blogged about the backlogs of applications for new and renewed operating permits for major sources of air pollution that existed in DEP’s Southwest Regional Office (SWRO) and in Allegheny County (where Title V sources are regulated by ACHD) in September 2016. In April 2018, we updated that research and expanded it to include sources permitted by DEP’s other five regional offices. We have updated that research every year since. Here’s what our review turned up this year: In Allegheny County, there are now 23 major sources of air pollution. One of those facilities has applied for, but has never been issued, a Title V Operating Permit – ATI Flat-Rolled Products (which was formerly known as Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works). ACHD did, however, publish a draft Title V Operating Permit for that facility in 2024. Including ATI Flat-Rolled Products, ACHD has failed to act on renewal applications for two of the 23 major sources in Allegheny County within 18 months as its regulations require: We are hopeful that increases in air permit fees that GASP and our partners worked to get passed for more than a year will allow ACHD to allocate the staffing and resources to completely eliminate its backlog once and for all. Southwest For purposes of air quality permitting, DEP’s Southwest Regional Office (SWRO) includes sources in Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. This year we counted 54 major sources under the jurisdiction of the SWRO. There are a few interesting things going on with the permitting of major sources in the Southwest Region: The Brunner Landfill in Beaver County, which has never been issued a Title V Operating Permit, finally submitted a Title V Operating Permit application in January 2026. DEP has not yet published what would be the initial Title V Operating Permit for Shell Chemical Appalachia’s ethane cracker in Beaver County. The facility applied for its first Title V Operating Permit in mid-2024. Subsequently, the facility applied for a Plan Approval that would significantly change applicable emissions limits and operating restrictions at the plant. The Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station in Westmoreland County has been constructed and operated for many years under its Plan Approval, or preconstruction permit. DEP published a draft Title V Operating Permit for Tenaska in October 2025, but has not yet issued a Title V Operating Permit to the facility; Markwest Liberty Midstream & Resource’s Houston Gas Plant has had applications pending at one time or another for both a minor source operating permit and a Title V Operating Permit. The facility appears to have neither an operating permit (of any kind) currently in place nor an application for such a permit currently pending. At least from the information available on DEP’s eFACTS website, it is not clear whether DEP has classified this source as a major source subject to Title V or a minor source. Four major sources in the Southwest Region have had applications for Title V Operating Permit pending for more than the 18 months allowed by the Clean Air Act. Northwest DEP’s Northwest Region (NWRO) includes Armstrong and Indiana Counties for Title V permitting purposes, as well as Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, and Warren Counties. We count 64 active major sources of air pollution in the Northwest Region. One facility, Webco Industries in Oil City, Venango County, was reclassified as a major source several years ago and still has its application for its first Title V Operating Permit pending. Including Webco Industries, four of the 64 facilities in the Northwest Region have had renewal applications for their Title V Operating Permit pending for more than 18 months: Northcentral DEP’s Northcentral Region (NCRO) includes Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union Counties. We counted 50 major sources of air pollution in the Northcentral Region. Three facilities in the Northcentral Region have had their applications to renew their Title V Operating Permits pending for more than 18 months: Southcentral DEP’s Southcentral Region (SCRO) includes Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York Counties. We counted eighty-five active major sources of air pollution in these counties. No source in the Southcentral Region has had a renewal application for a Title V Operating Permit pending for more than 18 months. Northeast DEP’s Northeast Region (NERO) includes Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties. We counted 53 active major sources of air pollution in those counties, three of which have had applications to renew their Title V Operating Permits pending for more than 18 months: Worth noting: DEP’s eFACTS website (which tracks the status of facility permits) does not show that the Chrinergy Power facility has an application to renew its operating permit pending as of June 9, 2025; a source violates the air pollution laws if it continues to operate without submitting a timely application to renew or replace its operating permit. The facility does, however, have a plan approval from DEP in place and could be operating legally pursuant to that. Southeast DEP’s Southeast Region (SERO) includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties for purposes of permitting sources of air pollution (Philadelphia’s Air Management Services administers the Title V permitting program for facilities located in Philadelphia). We counted 70 active major sources of air pollution in the Southeast Region, only one of which has had its renewal application for a Title V Operating Permit pending for more than 18 months: Title V Permit Backlog 2018-2026 To give you some idea of how the Title V permit backlogs have (or haven’t) changed over the years, here’s a summary of the backlog has looked like at ACHD and each of DEP’s regional offices since 2018. Take a look at any of the actual permits at GASP's Air Permits Clearinghouse. Permits are sorted by county, along with supporting documents and more information. Here are GASP's Title V investigations since 2020 for those who'd like to take a deeper dive into the backlog issue: 2020 Investigation 2021 Investigation 2022 Investigation 2023 Investigation 2024 Investigation 2025 Investigation Editor's Note: Check out this coverage of the Title V backlog investigation from Jack Troy of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

GASP was honored to join Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) Wednesday for a reunion event celebrating a decade of cleaner air since the closure of the Shenango Coke Works on Neville Island. It was a night of hugs, shared memories, and a profound sense of "we did it." Looking around the room, it was impossible not to feel hopeful about the power of a community that refuses to stay silent. “By pairing resident advocates with legal and technical air-quality experts, this multi-faceted approach showed just how much can be accomplished,” Campbell said. “It changed individual lives and improved the region for the better.” From Neighbors to Advocates: The Birth of ACCAN For decades, residents in Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon, and Emsworth and Neville Island lived under the shadow of the Shenango plant. Foul odors were daily occurrences, and the Northgate School District once suffered through some of the highest asthma rates in the state. In June 2014, local residents decided they had had enough and formed ACCAN. They became certified smoke readers, meticulously documenting fugitive emissions and stack violations. After GASP helped connect the group with Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE Lab, a Shenango camera was installed, providing a 24/7 feed that showed undeniable visual evidence of the plant's impact. Legal Chops Meet Grassroots Grit While ACCAN provided the heart and the evidence, GASP was proud to provide the legal and technical muscle. We knew that for the community's voice to be heard by regulators, it needed to be backed by the law. GASP helped resident advocates navigate the complex world of air quality permits and enforcement. In 2014, GASP filed a Clean Air Act citizen suit against Shenango, arguing that the facility was repeatedly violating emissions standards. This legal pressure—combined with ACCAN’s relentless community exposure—helped force the hand of the Allegheny County Health Department and the EPA. When the plant finally shuttered in January 2016, it was a victory for the law as much as for the lungs. “It truly showed what amazing things can happen when resident advocates partner with legal and technical air quality experts,” Campbell said. “In our nearly 60-year history, our work related to the Shenango Coke Works is among GASP’s most impactful. A Decade of Health: By the Numbers The most beautiful part of this 10-year milestone? The measurable health improvements of our neighbors. Recent studies have confirmed what we felt in our chests almost immediately after the closure - one showing a drop in cardiovascular ER visits and the other confirming a similar drop in respiratory visits to the emergency room.

The Pennsylvania Senate earlier this month passed a bill that would require the end of the Keystone state’s vehicle emission inspection program –one that GASP has written about extensively (here and here and here). That begs the question: Can Pennsylvania end its vehicle inspection program? “Not if the Clean Air Act is enforced as written,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. Here’s why: Pennsylvania (along with northern Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and parts of southern Maine) is included in the Ozone Transport Region created by section 184(a) of the Clean Air Act. Congress added the Ozone Transport Region to the Act in 1990 to provide a means to help reduce the amount of ozone-forming pollution that could be exported across state lines in the northeastern United States. Because Pennsylvania is in the Ozone Transport Region, the Clean Air Act requires that it implement a vehicle emission inspection program “in each area … that is a metropolitan statistical area or part thereof with a population of 100,000 or more.” This requirement is not contingent on Pennsylvania’s attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (the NAAQS), which makes sense given the purpose of the Ozone Transport Region: vehicle emissions in Pennsylvania, even from areas within the state that attain the NAAQS for ozone, might contribute to ozone attainment problems in downwind states. Notably, the Clean Air Act does not provide a mechanism by which the vehicle emission inspection program for an area within the Ozone Transport Region might be rescinded. In contrast, the vehicle emission inspection requirement imposed on states outside the Ozone Transport Region is contingent upon the degree of those states’ nonattainment of the NAAQS for ozone. The Clean Air Act imposes separate vehicle emission inspection requirements on what’s known as Moderate Areas (of nonattainment of the NAAQS for ozone), and “each urbanized area … with a 1980 population of 200,000 or more” within a so-called Serious Area. A Severe Area is subject to all the requirements that apply to Serious Areas, and an Extreme Area is subject to all the requirements that apply to Severe Areas, including the vehicle emission inspection requirement. However, once a state outside the Ozone Transport Region attains the NAAQS for ozone, it can eliminate its vehicle emission inspection program if it can show that elimination will not interfere with continued attainment of the NAAQS. Indeed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a proposal to eliminate North Carolina’s vehicle emission inspection program based on that state’s showing that it had attained the NAAQS for ozone and will continue to do so even without the program, even though eliminating the program is predicted to increase state-wide emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 1,190 tons per year. Past attempts by the Pennsylvania Senate to eliminate the vehicle inspection program have failed to gain traction in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Stay tuned. We’ll track this latest one and let you know if it does any differently.

Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager amanda@gasp-pgh.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GASP Investigation Reveals Major Air Quality Permit Backlogs Persist Across Pennsylvania Despite Regulatory Denials A new investigative report finds that despite official assurances, regulators are failing to process crucial Clean Air Act Title V permits within legally mandated timeframes. PITTSBURGH — Today, the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) released a comprehensive investigative report revealing that significant backlogs in processing Title V Operating Permits persist across Pennsylvania. Despite official claims from regulators that backlogs are being successfully managed, GASP’s analysis shows multiple regional offices of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - and to a lesser extent, the Allegheny County Health Department - continue to experience critical delays. Title V Operating Permits, mandated by the federal Clean Air Act, are vital regulatory tools required for the largest industrial sources of air pollution. These permits compile all applicable federal and state clean air requirements into a single document, making it possible for both regulators and the public to monitor and enforce a facility's compliance with emission limits. The investigation found that while the backlogs have seen moderate improvement over the last several years, progress has stalled—and in several regions, the backlog of permit applications pending for more than the legally allowed 18-month window is actively worsening. “Unfortunately, despite official denials, our investigation shows that major trouble spots remain,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. “When a Title V permit renewal sits in limbo for years, it severely complicates the public's and the regulators' ability to ensure that facilities are complying with the law.” GASP is calling on the ACHD and the state DEP to immediately address these backlogs. “Recent revisions to the ACHD fee schedule and state administrative procedures must be backed by a renewed, aggressive commitment to clear the permitting logjams once and for all,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. To read the full investigative report here: GASP Investigates: Title V Operating Permit Backlog Persists Despite Official Denials Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policymaker on many environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. ###

The fight for clean air is global, but the solutions are intensely local. That’s why GASP attended the Air Sensors International Conference (ASIC) in Los Angeles earlier this month alongside our partners at CREATE Lab and Environmental Health Project (EHP). Organized by the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center, ASIC is the premier global forum where leading scientists, policymakers, industry innovators, and grassroots community advocates gather to discuss the cutting edge of air monitoring technology and data-driven environmental justice. For an organization like GASP—and for communities like ours that bear the brunt of industrial emissions—attending this conference helped us bridge the gap between cutting-edge global science and the real, breathable air in our neighborhoods. Why ASIC Matters to the Air We Breathe Historically, ambient air quality monitoring was the exclusive domain of massive, multi-million-dollar EPA monitoring stations like the ones maintained by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) here locally. While highly accurate, these stations are sometimes few and far between, often missing the distinct hyperlocal pollution events that impact specific valley communities and fence-line neighborhoods. The conversation at ASIC focuses heavily on changing that paradigm through low-cost sensor technology and citizen science - the same tech GASP and our partners are using for our Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project. From advanced machine learning algorithms that correct data drift to community-led networks tracking wildfire smoke and industrial toxics, the conference highlighted a powerful truth: When communities have accessible, reliable data, they have power. Key Takeaways from the Conference Improved Calibration: Next-generation low-cost sensors are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using advanced algorithms to account for humidity, temperature, and local weather anomalies. Hyperlocal Mapping: Panelists (like our partners at CREATE Lab and Environmental Health Project) showcased how cities worldwide are using dense sensor networks to identify specific pollution hot spots, driving targeted public health interventions and policy changes. Environmental Justice Data: Activists and scientists are co-creating data frameworks that stand up to regulatory scrutiny, ensuring frontline communities cannot be ignored by local health authorities or industry polluters. Powering Our Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project So, how does an international conference in Los Angeles change things on the ground for us? Excellent question! It directly supercharges our current community monitoring initiatives, including our dedicated Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project. “My biggest takeaway from ASIC is the central role communities play in air quality work,” GASP Field Technician Julie Stouffer said. “This work relies on the knowledge and experiences of people directly impacted by poor air quality. ASIC reinforced the importance of making air quality data accessible and easy to understand so communities can meaningfully engage and benefit from this work." As we deploy and manage localized monitors, the insights gleaned from ASIC provide a direct blueprint for success: 1. Hardening Our Data to Withstand Scrutiny For community data to drive regulatory action or hold industry accountable, it must be bulletproof. Learning the latest best practices in sensor calibration and placement ensures the data we collect is accurate, verifiable, and capable of standing up to official pushback. 2. Optimizing Our Networks The deployment strategies shared by global peers help us understand best practices for how we position monitors for maximum community impact. This ensures we are capturing the true, real-time exposure of residents rather than relying on delayed regional averages. 3. Scaling Citizen Science A monitor is only as effective as the community utilizing it. GASP is taking the community-engagement models highlighted at ASIC and applying them locally. The Road Ahead As we know all too well here in Allegheny County: Clean air isn't given - it is fought for and defended. The data we collect through our monitor projects will continue to shine a light on local air quality challenges, giving all of us the tools we need to demand transparency, support enforcement, and protect the health of our families.

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

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In part one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. Before we get too far into the weeds about consent-decree related maintenance, equipment and operational changes at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works, we think it’s important we all have a baseline understanding of how the facility runs. Here’s the short version: U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works is what is known as an integrated steel-making operation. That means U.S. Steel starts with raw materials – iron ore, coal, etc. – and produces finished steel. The Edgar Thomson facility makes molten iron (or pig iron) in its blast furnaces using coke from Clairton, iron ore, and other materials. Within the blast furnace casthouses, the furnaces are tapped and the pig iron is collected in rail cars (called torpedo cars) for transfer. A molten sulfurous metallic waste product of the blast furnace is slag, which is diverted into open pits to cool before processing. The facility turns iron into steel by way of the basic oxygen process (BOP) in a part of the mill aptly named the BOP shop. Molten steel is poured into a continuous caster that creates steel slabs, which are then shipped by rail to the Irvin Works for finishing. GASP staff put together these visuals of the facility so you can reference it as we proceed: The actions the consent decree required U.S. Steel to take generally fall into four broad categories, with specific deadlines set for each action item: record-keeping and reporting, emissions reductions from specific processes, enhanced emissions monitoring, and enhanced equipment maintenance. Now for the big question: Has U.S. Steel met the obligations set forth in the deal? Let’s get into the nitty gritty… What About Those Record-keeping and Reporting Requirements After a review of the documents obtained from ACHD through a public records request, GASP can report that yes, so far U.S. Steel has met the deadlines associated with its semi-annual and other required reports. The semi-annual reports have been submitted on or before the Feb. 28 and June 30 deadlines set forth in the agreement. These reports chronicle U.S. Steel’s deliverables for EPA and ACHD and provides a solid timeline for the various projects - many of which are YEARS in the making. There is a plethora of information in these reports - here’s the last one U.S. Steel submitted to give an idea of its contents and format: You can read all the semiannual reports below. GASP intends to make a public records request for subsequent reports required by the decree. Semiannual Reports What About Those Training Requirements? Documents show that U.S. Steel began developing the required training material in the first half of 2023 and that training of “appropriate personnel” was completed by year’s end. According to U.S. Steel’s February 2024 semi-annual report, 314 employees were provided this training. “Topics will include discussion of applicable requirements, potential emissions sources, and activities and available tools to address those sources and activities,” the company wrote in its August 2024 semi-annual report. About The Required H2S Suppression System Feb. 14, 2023: U.S. Steel completed the installation of a temporary system for the feeding of hydrogen peroxide into the slag pit quench water spray system. May 15, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted to EPA for approval a proposed written procedure for its system for feeding hydrogen peroxide into the slag pit quench water spray system. Sept. 7, 2023: The permanent system was completed. July 10, 2025: EPA approves U.S. Steel’s proposed written procedure. “The installation of the permanent system for feeding of hydrogen peroxide into the Slag Pit quench water spray system is complete and in operation,” U.S. Steel said in its latest semi-annual report submitted to regulators on Jan. 30, 2026. About The Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System Here are the key dates associated with the Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control Systems: Jan. 16, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted its casthouse baghouse system study plan to ACHD and EPA. March 6, 2023: U.S. Steel re-submitted its casthouse baghouse system study plan per an ACHD request for clarification. April 18, 2023: EPA provides U.S. Steel written approval of the casthouse baghouse study plan after consultation with ACHD. Oct. 23, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted its Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System evaluation report - along with its recommendations and responses - for approval. July 10, 2025: EPA approved the company’s Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System Evaluation Report along with U. S. Steel’s Recommendation and Response Summary. “Implementation of the Short-term Recommendations has begun,” U.S. Steel told regulators in its Jan. 30, 2026, semi-annual report. “It is important to note that while we continue to implement the short-term recommendations and required visible emissions monitoring for the blast furnace casthouse, no deviations from the applicable opacity standards at the blast furnace casthouse have been observed during the reporting period.” You can read the entire casthouse baghouse system study here - and we recommend you take a gander. It includes robust - albeit extremely technical and engineering-heavy - information and visuals. But here are two main takeaways: #1: The evaluation showed that U. S. Steel was able to satisfactorily maintain compliance with all applicable air quality regulations. The existing casthouse baghouse system and trough hoods are generally effective at capturing emissions from the taphole and iron trough. #2 Visible Emissions Observations (VEOs) indicated that casting operations on the casthouse floor, outside of the existing baghouse control area (such as the iron runner, spouts, and ladle car transfer areas), have a greater impact on opacity at the casthouse roof monitor than the taphole/trough area. However, deficiencies in the casthouse baghouse system were identified and a slate of recommendations for remedying them were issued. Here are the short-term recommendations, which the contractor noted are primarily for optimization and will not significantly change VEOs at the roof monitor. They include: Eliminate ingress air by increasing the inspection regime and conducting maintenance/repairs to the ductwork and access ports. Update damper logic to better distribute flow between the two casthouses Increase I.D. fan speed. Optimize flame suppression system by increasing lance size/gas flow and conducting a study for a dedicated gas line. Improve torpedo ladle car positioning through better training/communication and a study on the viability of an automated system. Here are the intermediate-term recommendations that focused on optimizing the existing system and minimizing VEOs. They include: Installation of a dedicated gas line to each casthouse from the compressor station based on the short-term study. Automation of the torpedo ladle car positioning based on the short-term study. Improve air curtain operation by implementing modifications to reposition or enhance air flow. The redesign and replacement of the fan inlet plenum if extensive repairs are necessary. However, it’s the long-term recommendations that most piqued our interest here at GASP. The report stresses that these recommendations would be implemented, “If, after all short- and intermediate-term improvements, USS is still unable to maintain compliance, four long-term options were evaluated for controlling casthouse floor emissions. These would require a new or significantly expanded baghouse system.” About the Bop Shop Roof Ventilation & Scrubber Systems Here are the key dates associated with those systems: Jan. 16, 2023 - U.S. Steel began its pre-study visible emissions observations for Edgar Thomson’s blast furnace casthouses and BOB Shop emissions modules (for its roof monitors and scrubber stacks). Feb. 14, 2023 - U.S. Steel submitted study plans to ACHD and EPA for its BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and BOP Shop Scrubber. Oct. 25, 2023 - U.S. Steel self-reported in an annual report an instance of noncompliance with VEO observations. The report stated, “Due to a misunderstanding and training miscommunication, the contractor VEO reader failed to continue conducting Method 9 observations when a deviation from an applicable opacity was observed…The contractor has since been retrained on the requirements of taking observations in accordance with the consent decree.” April 5, 2024 - U.S. Steel experiences a deviation of its opacity standards during its VEO observations. The company noted there was a maximum opacity of 25 percent was experienced from Blast Furnace 1 during a 60-minute period. In an annual report the company provided this explanation, “There was high moisture in the trough due to heavy rainfall. The employees were retrained on reducing moisture in the trough during heavy rainfall.” July 10, 2025: EPA approved the BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and Scrubber System Study plans. Nov. 7, 2026: The BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and Scrubber System Study plans were completed by Hatch. U.S. Steel’s Jan. 30, 2026 semi-annual report indicated those reports - along with the results of the studies - would be submitted by Feb. 5, 2026. The study plans can be read in full here. About the SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers March 14, 2023 - U.S. Steel submitted its SO2 CEMS monitoring plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers to DEP and was working with the department on requested revisions. April 4, 2023 - DEP approved U.S. Steel’s SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers. July 4, 2023 - U.S. Steel completes phase 2 testing for its SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Rile Boilers and sends a report to DEP verifying compliance with all regulatory requirements. Aug. 23, 2023 - DEP approves the certification of U.S. Steel’s test results for its SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Riley Boilers. Meanwhile, the company noted in an annual report that it was working to submit sample reports to the department for approval of phase 3. April 4, 2024: DEP approved the SO2CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Riley Boilers. July 4, 2024: U.S. Steel completed Phase 2 testing. Aug. 23, 2024: DEP approved U.S. Steel’s certification results for the monitoring system. Oct. 4, 2024: U.S. Steel submitted Phase 3 sample reports. DEP also approved the CEMS certification. “All retroactive reports were submitted to EPA and DEP and approved on December 19, 2024. All reports required by EPA and DEP have been submitted as required,” according to U.S. Steel’s Jan. 30, 2026, semi-annual report. Documents GASP obtained through a public records request provided no additional details about the status of phase 3. GASP submitted a subsequent request for additional documentation and will provide an update when further information is available. What About Those Enhanced Monitoring Requirements? Our documents review revealed that U.S. Steel appears to have fulfilled the requirements related to the installation and maintenance of the seven video cameras to monitor problematic sources of visible emissions (reminder that those include the blast furnace stove stacks, casthouse roof monitors and baghouse, BOP shop roof monitor and scrubber stacks, and two staging areas for torpedo cars). U.S. Steel’s Aug. 30, 2023, semi-annual report indicates that the cameras were installed by the June 14, 2023. deadline. Incorporation of these cameras into the facility's procedures and operator training was completed as expected by Oct. 12, 2023, according to the company’s Feb. 27, 2024, report. What About the Maintenance Audit? Aug. 14, 2023: U.S. Steel completed and submitted the Maintenance Audit. July 10, 2025: EPA approved the Maintenance Audit. You can read the Maintenance Audit here. Happening In the Meantime When it comes to air quality issues, nothing happens in a vacuum. As U.S. Steel and regulators worked their way through the conditions set in the consent decree, it’s important to note that a lot was happening in the background regarding Edgar Thomson and emissions issues there. For one, ACHD published a revised Title V operating permit the Edgar Thomson facility Aug. 23, 2024, which kicked off a 30-day public comment period. This was necessary because both the EPA and U.S. Steel appealed the initial permit, which led to changes subsequent enough that it required a second public comment period to allow stakeholders to address them. Why is that important? It’s important because some of the Title V limits that U.S. Steel appealed also impact the deliverables for the consent decree. Second, it’s crucial to note that the consent decree did not stop U.S. Steel from racking up air quality violations. In August 2024, for example, ACHD issued an enforcement order to U.S. Steel for emissions violations related to carbon monoxide and assessed a $12,300 civil penalty. ACHD noted that the Edgar Thomson plant was exceeding both the hourly limits for carbon monoxide emissions and its annual limit. According to the enforcement order: “The short-term hourly emission limitation…for CO is 2,575.44 lb./hr. On January 25, 2024, ET performed compliance testing on the BOP Primary Collection Scrubber System. On March 28, 2024, ET submitted the compliance test report. The three runs showed 4,599 lb./hr., 2,714 lb./hr. and 2,723 lb./hr. per hour. The average test results for the BOP Primary Collection Scrubber System were 3,346 lb./hr., exceeding the permit limit of 2,575.44 lb./hr.” It also didn’t stop high-profile equipment breakdowns. On Feb. 23, 2025, U.S. Steel experienced a breakdown at the Edgar Thomson facility that resulted in damage to the building. Two days later, ACHD issued a press release relating to the weekend breakdown, providing this information from U.S. Steel: US Steel has tarped the hole until a permanent repair can be made and slowed down production. For more information regarding issues within the Edgar Thomson facility reach out to U.S. Steel. The required pollution monitors were not damaged by this issue. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) will continue to investigate the breakdown. That same day - Feb. 25, 2025 - GASP staff contacted ACHD’s public information officer to inquire whether the breakdown could be related to sky-high concentrations of hydrogen suffice (H2S) that exceeded the state standard during the same time period. ACHD responded immediately via email, stating: “The cause of the H2S values are under investigation and we cannot provide any further comments at this time.” In a subsequent email sent the same afternoon, ACHD announced sulfur dioxide exceedances at the Braddock air monitoring site near the Edgar Thomson facility. The consent decree with regulators wasn’t the only legal action related to Edgar Thomson: U.S. Steel also settled a class-action lawsuit filed in 2022 regarding dust and other noxious emissions from its Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock, agreeing to pay a $6.1 million civil penalty. Of that money: $1.5 million will be paid out to those who opted into the legal action. $2.25 million was earmarked for the construction of two-wheel wash stations to clean vehicles exiting the facility. $1.6 million was designated for paving the onsite street informally known as Burma Road $740,000 would be used to purchase to street sweepers for use at - and in the vicinity of - the Edgar Thomson facility Finally, U.S. Steel in September 2025 announced it approved its next phase of capital investment plans, which included the construction of a $100 million slag recycling facility at the Edgar Thomson Works. While the company took a public relations lap lauding the investment, we feel it necessary to point out that the consent decree required U.S. Steel to reduce emissions from its slag pit operations. Next up: Chapter 4, where we explore what's next and why we need YOU.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In part one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. Part one can be read here. After YEARS of radio silence from air quality regulators - and amid mounting public pressure from GASP for action and transparency - the Mon Valley was rocked by the May 2022 announcement that local and federal authorities had reached a deal with U.S. Steel regarding ongoing emissions violations at the Edgar Thomson Works. Six months later, a federal district court judge approved the long-awaited consent decree, which imposed a $1.5 million fine on U.S. Steel and mandated a slate of improvements at the North Braddock facility. The goal? To ensure Edgar Thomson got into - and maintained - compliance with all applicable air quality laws and regulations. About That Fine Half the fine - $750,000 - was funneled to the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, which ACHD has approved to manage a fund to bankroll community environmental projects. The other half of the fine was earmarked to fund “the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development in support of the creation of a multimodal connection that links the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) in Rankin Borough to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail (WHT) in Trafford Borough through the Turtle Creek Valley.” More on that here. The actions mandated by the consent decree can be sorted into three broad categories: emissions reductions from specific processes, enhanced emissions monitoring, and enhanced equipment maintenance complete with stringent deadlines and robust reporting requirements for U.S. Steel. Emissions Reduction Mandates First, let’s talk emissions reductions: U.S. Steel was required to begin “feeding an oxidizing chemical additive or additives . . . into the slag pit quench water spray system, to enhance suppression of H2S emissions.” The company was also required to submit to the EPA and ACHD written procedures detailing how it will continue to reduce emissions from slag pit operations. U.S. Steel was also ordered to obtain an independent engineering evaluation to identify potential emissions reductions from the blast furnaces’ casthouse baghouse system, the BOP shop roof ventilation, and the BOP shop scrubber system. Independent third-party contractors were hired to conduct studies of all three systems. And for all three studies, those contractors were required to submit detailed plans for conducting those studies - and EPA and ACHD were required to approve all of it. Monitoring Requirements Next, let’s talk about what the consent decree required by way of monitoring. First, U.S. Steel was required to permanently install and maintain no fewer than seven video cameras aimed at problematic sources of visible emissions including the blast furnace stove stacks, casthouse roof monitors and baghouse, BOP shop roof monitor and scrubber stacks, and two staging areas for torpedo cars. It bears noting: The decree states this equipment will be used to keep a better eye on potential emissions sources so U.S. Steel can take “corrective actions to minimize or eliminate any such emissions as expeditiously as possible.” They may NOT be used to determine compliance. In addition to the camera system, U.S. Steel also needed to hire a third-party observer – trained and certified in accordance with EPA Method 9 – to begin conducting visible emissions readings covering the casthouse roof monitors, BOP shop roof monitor, and BOP shop scrubber stacks twice a week when the equipment was operating. However, the decree requires Method 9 inspection frequency to increase to four days per week. But that extra monitoring has an end date: It will end after four consecutive months of 100 percent compliance or 12 months from the start of the more frequent inspections (whichever is sooner). These monitoring requirements are coupled with various reporting deadlines, as well. Finally, the agreement required U.S. Steel submit a monitoring plan to install a continuous SO2 monitor for Edgar Thomson’s Riley boilers. For the uninitiated: These boilers burn blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, and natural gas to generate steam, heat, and electricity for the plant. Facility Maintenance Upgrades Next up: Let’s talk about what the consent decree had to say about facility maintenance. First, it required U.S. Steel to hire a third-party contractor to conduct a maintenance practices audit analyzing control operations and maintenance practices for the casthouse baghouse, the BOP shop fugitive emissions baghouse, the BOP shop mixer baghouse, the BOP shop LMF baghouse, the BOP shop primary emissions system/BOP shop scrubber, and the slag pits. The report was to detail: audit findings, including the basis for each finding and each area of concern related to the adequacy of Edgar Thomson’s operations and maintenance plan for ensuring current and continued future functioning of emissions controls and compliance with applicable emission limitations information about whether requirements, targets, objectives, or other benchmarks are being achieved; whether there are examples of noncompliance with the operations and maintenance plan; and “recommendations for resolving areas of concern or otherwise achieving compliance with the operations and maintenance.” After receiving the auditor’s report, U.S. Steel was required to submit that information to the EPA and ACHD along with a proposal for implementing recommendations. But the audits don’t stop there: In addition to the third-party audit, the agreement requires U.S. Steel to undergo self-audits every 12 months and submit for approval plans to EPA and ACHD detailing everything from obstacles encountered to the adequacy of the operations and maintenance plan to whether required objectives and benchmarks are being met. Reporting Requirements Last but not least, the consent decree requires U.S. Steel to submit to EPA and ACHD semi-annual reports detailing everything from the progress made on required upgrades and training to problems encountered and changes made to the facility’s operations or maintenance plans. Those reports must be submitted by Feb. 28 and Aug. 31 each year. Did U.S. Steel meet the deadlines set forth in the consent decree? What operational and maintenance changes have been made since the 2022 agreement was inked? What has the fine money funded and what’s the status of that multi-modal trail collection? We explore this and more in the third installment in our series, which you can read here.