Editor's Note: GASP, Clean Air Council, Environmental Integrity Project, and PennFuture on Thursday jointly issued the following press release (!!!). Stay tuned, more to come from GASP on what this all means. Spoiler: It's a big deal. Environmental Groups Win EPA’s Objection to U.S. Steel Clairton’s Air Pollution Permit Environmental Protection Agency sides with Environmental Integrity Project, PennFuture, Clean Air Council, and Group Against Smog and Pollution and objects to U.S Steel Clairton’s Title V permit as it was not in compliance with the Clean Air Act. In a move that will help protect Mon Valley residents from the emission of harmful air pollutants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sided with environmental groups by issuing an order objecting to an air quality permit issued to U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in November 2022 on the basis that it was not in compliance with the Clean Air Act. In March, environmental groups submitted two petitions to the EPA requesting it object to the Title V Air Quality permit granted to U.S. Steel Clairton by the ACHD. In the petition from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), PennFuture, and Clean Air Council, the groups argued that the Title V permit did not include monitoring and testing requirements sufficient to assure compliance with multiple air quality emissions limitations for multiple emissions sources. The petition from the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) argued that the Title V permit failed to include a compliance schedule which is required by the Clean Air Act when a facility is out of compliance with emission standards at the time of the permit issuance. EIP, PennFuture, and Clean Air Council had sent a notice of intent to sue EPA on July 11 for EPA’s failure to take action on their March petition to object to the permit, and EIP filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of these three groups on Sept. 13. On Sept. 18, the EPA issued an order granting almost all of the petitioners’ claims related to testing, monitoring, and reporting requirements and GASP’s claim regarding a compliance schedule, objecting to the Clairton Title V permit on those grounds. In its order, EPA requires ACHD to revise the permit and/or permit record in accordance with its decision. The U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is the largest coke plant in North America and a significant source of air pollution in Allegheny County. It also has a history of noncompliance with environmental regulations. Pollutants of concern emitted by the facility include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and several hazardous air pollutants, including benzene. “EPA’s objection to this Title V permit will require ACHD to ensure that the permit has air quality monitoring and testing requirements sufficient to demonstrate that U.S. Steel Clairton operates in compliance with its emission limits,” said Angela Kilbert, senior attorney for PennFuture. “Air quality issues are an ongoing public health problem in Allegheny County and ensuring that industry polluters are operating within their permit limits is critical to protecting our health and environment.” “For far too long, Allegheny County residents have deserved clean air but been denied it,”said Joseph Otis Minott, executive director and chief counsel of Clean Air Council. “We are grateful to EPA for granting these petitions to minimize harmful industrial pollution.” “This is a long-overdue win for local residents, who can see that environmental groups and now EPA are stepping up to stop polluters like U.S. Steel from being able to continue operating with lax permits,” said Lisa Hallowell, senior attorney with EIP. “We hope ACHD acts quickly to make the changes to Clairton's permit so U.S. Steel can be held accountable to air pollution laws.” “We're pleased that EPA granted our petition and agreed that ACHD must develop a compliance schedule for its Clairton Coke Works facility and we hope the measures required by that compliance schedule finally bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Air Act," said John Baillie, senior attorney at GASP. "More than anything we hope the end result is improved air quality for the Mon Valley and beyond - residents have suffered long enough from emissions issues and air pollution events at that plant. We're glad EPA agrees that enough is enough." This order is a win against an inadequate, unprotective, and unlawful Title V permit and represents another critical step in the fight against harmful emissions from major polluters in Allegheny County. ABOUT US: Clean Air Council is an environmental health advocacy organization fighting for everyone’s right to a healthy environment. Protecting people’s health from the harmful impacts of pollution has always been the Council’s primary goal. Environmental Integrity Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health and the environment. Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) non-profit in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policy-maker on many environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. PennFuture is a member-supported, statewide environmental advocacy nonprofit and watchdog fighting against potential threats to PA's clean air, pure water, and healthy climate. Since 1998, PennFuture has combined legislative advocacy and legal enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels, educational outreach, and civic engagement support for just and equitable environmental outcomes that improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians. PennFuture has stood at the forefront of major environmental milestones in Pennsylvania as a bold and vigilant defender of communities against pollution and environmentally harmful policies. ###

From left to right, are: Yvonne Sorovacu, Protect PT; Paul Dille, CREATE Lab; Nathan Deron, EHP; Ned Mulcahy, GASP. Members of GASP, CREATE Lab, Environmental Health Project, and Protect PT recently got their first look at new air monitoring technology that the groups will be deploying over the coming months in various locations as part of EPA grants the groups received. The equipment – called an S-Pod – is capable of reporting levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air through the use of a photoionization detection (PID) sensor. For those of us who aren’t air quality nerds: An additional and very important feature is that these units let users take samples of the air for further analysis when VOC levels get bad. Best of all, these little machines work wirelessly and remotely. From left to right: Nathan Deron, EHP, with solar panel, Yvonne Sorovacu, Protect PT, with summa canister, Ana Hoffman, CREATE Lab, with S-Pod, Ned Mulcahy, GASP, also with summa canister. The parts pictured here with a few of the soon-to-be experts belong to our friends at Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) and will be deployed soon as part of the work they are doing outside the aforementioned EPA grants. While the parts were in CREATE Lab’s actual lab, we got a chance to plug everything in, run through a few set-up tasks, and the like. Thanks to ACCAN for letting us learn. Thanks to Jacob and Jason at Sensit, for helping us work through a few technical details. Thanks to the EPA for funding and immense effort in creating and fine-tuning the underlying technology over the years. Editor’s Note: We will keep you posted as the monitoring project progresses. In the meantime, you can get all the details on the EPA-funded program here.

The comment period is now over. Thanks to all who submitted a comment. You can read GASP's formal comments here. If you follow local air quality issues, then you probably know that the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is our local air quality regulator and operates a network of air quality monitors. What you might not know is that every year, the ACHD must publish an air quality network monitoring plan that provides a detailed description of how and where air pollution is monitored throughout the county. These annual reports are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and provide information such as the specific location of each monitoring station, monitoring methods, monitoring objectives, frequency of sampling, pollutants measured, and any planned changes to the network. Right now, ACHD is seeking public comment on its 2024 Air Quality Network Monitoring Plan through Dec. 1, so GASP wanted to provide a breakdown of what’s new and notable in the report and how - and why - you should consider speaking out. Where, What, When, and Why Does ACHD Monitor? ACHD operates nine monitoring sites to meet the core objectives for all monitoring networks across the country: Provide air pollution data to the general public in a timely manner; Support compliance with ambient air quality standards and emissions strategy development; and Support for air pollution research studies. The complexity of the sites and the pollutants they measure vary by the sites’ objectives, with a site in Glassport monitoring a single pollutant – PM10 – and ACHD’s primary site in the City of Pittsburgh monitoring dozens of pollutants. The monitoring site locations are established to meet certain objectives. For example, there is a near-road site along the Parkway East set up expressly to monitor pollutants from mobile sources and other sites that have changed over time to detect the highest levels or background levels of certain pollutants. Many sites now monitor continuously as technology and internet connectivity have advanced, but not all pollutants can be monitored in real-time. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes In the 76-page plan, ACHD detailed monitoring additions since the publication of its 2023 Air Quality Network Monitoring Plan. They include: • Moving the Avalon monitoring station to the Avalon Elementary School • Reconfiguring the Liberty site roof and replacing the continuous PM2.5 and PM10 monitors at that site • Adding aerosol chemical speciation monitoring for organics, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and chloride to the Lawrenceville site • Adding continuous PM10 metals monitor to the Lawrenceville site The Plan also lays out updates ACHD anticipates it will complete in the next 18 months, which include: • Addition of continuous PM2.5 monitoring at the South Fayette and Harrison sites • Addition of meteorology (wind speed & direction) sensors at the Avalon site • Addition of meteorology sensing as well as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) monitoring at the Clairton site • Addition of True NO2 monitoring at the Liberty site • Addition of a ceilometer to the Mon Valley to measure the mixing layer height of the atmosphere • Movement of Lawrenceville monitoring station – the department’s primary and most comprehesive monitoring site – to the Chateau Neighborhood in Pittsburgh’s North Side. As GASP reported previously, closing the Lawrenceville site did not strike us as a well-reasoned decision, but the relocation is moving ahead. One bright spot is that ACHD is proposing to operate a new monitoring station within two miles of the existing Lawrenceville station “to capture a similar airshed to what is being monitored now at the NCore site for long-term comparison to the new Chateau NCore site.” Cheers and Jeers for This Year’s Plan Technically speaking, and regarding the pollutants that ACHD will be monitoring, GASP has nothing but cheers for the plan. The network is expanding, new monitors are being deployed, and more pollutants are being measured. In addition, ACHD is currently field-testing low-cost sensors for potential use as supplemental monitoring in environmental justice communities throughout the county. After field testing of Purple Air PA-II-FLEX sensors, ACHD will provide the monitored area with correction factors to properly calibrate citizen-owned sensors to the closest continuous regulatory PM2.5 monitor. This is a great idea. But a jeer is necessary when it comes to ACHD meeting objective #1 for monitoring networks: Providing air pollution data to the general public. To be clear, ACHD publishes air quality data hourly, and the Air Quality Program website displays PM2.5 data based on rolling averages, but the department’s refusal to promote and share the EPA’s NowCast AQI – particularly during the wildfire smoke episodes this past summer – deeply concerns us. The core issue with ACHD’s approach is that a rolling average is not the same thing as a current condition. In other words, “we’ve averaged 0.14 inches of rain over the past 24 hours” is not a reasonable or sane answer to the simple question, “Is it raining outside now?” It is reasonable and sane for the public to want actual, current air quality conditions, and the EPA’s AirNow platform delivers. It displays hourly data from thousands of monitors across the country and – more importantly – AirNow calculates its NowCast AQI values to be responsive to rapidly changing air quality conditions and to caution people in time for them to reduce their exposure to pollutants. With that in mind, consider those days last summer when air quality locally was in the very unhealthy range. ACHD outreach encouraged the public to, “[s]tay up to date on current air quality conditions by visiting the department’s online dashboard,” which – as we noted above – does not report current conditions. “There appears to be a troubling disconnect between the quality of the data ACHD captures and the department’s curious approach to sharing and interpreting that data for the public’s benefit,” GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy said. “EPA regulations define the AQI as ‘a tool that simplifies reporting air quality to the general public.’ ACHD is both complicating the air quality reporting and failing to promote a tool meant to protect public health.” How and Why to Submit a Public Comment GASP will be submitting formal comments on the plan this Friday. If you’d like to echo our sentiments above or raise other concerns about how air quality is monitored in Allegheny County, submitting a formal public comment is simple. You can email them to ACHD’s David D. Good at David.Good@alleghenycounty.us or mail them to: 301 39th Street, Building 7, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. For more information, there is also an online meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 29, of the Air Quality Program Advisory Committee’s Air Monitoring Subcommittee where a discussion of the monitoring plan is on the agenda.

Did you hear? The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) authorized an air quality plan approval to allow an onsite leachate treatment and evaporation system to be installed at Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, located in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County. Leachate is moisture produced by waste itself and stormwater that infiltrates the landfill’s waste. Leachate from landfills must be treated onsite or transported to a separate treatment facility. Evaporating liquid leachate at Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill would eliminate risks of spills, impacts, and traffic associated with trucking leachate offsite for disposal. The air quality plan approval establishes emissions limitations and monitoring requirements. DEP is currently reviewing a waste permit modification application, which, if approved, would authorize the use of the evaporator system for the treatment of the landfill’s leachate. Both the plan approval and waste permit modification must be obtained before operation. The approved leachate treatment and evaporation system includes extensive pre-treatment of the leachate. The evaporator will include a three-stage demisting filtration system with a 99% removal efficiency of filterable particulate matter. The air quality plan approval also includes numerous measures to monitor pollutants that may be emitted through the evaporation process and/or present in the leachate and assure compliance with emission limitations. Modeling and calculations using accepted scientific methods show any radionuclides emitted into the air will not pose a health risk. Radiation monitors will be placed in six onsite locations and will measure 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and be analyzed regularly. The plan approval also requires that a third-party conduct an audit inspection of the leachate pre-treatment and evaporation system every 12 months. Audits would include a full system inspection, cleaning, instrument calibration, training of operating staff, operator certification, and system restoration as needed. On Nov. 1, DEP executed a consent order and agreement that also requires Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill to take extensive proactive measures to detect, correct, and prevent future violations. Supporting documents as well as additional permitting and compliance information are available on the DEP’s community information webpage for Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill.

If reading that headline gave you a “déjà vu all over again” sort of feeling, it’s probably because the issue of the Clairton Coke Works air quality operating permit – called a Title V permit – has been in the GASP and local enviro headlines a lot over the past two years. For better or worse – more on that below – the permit is back in the air quality headlines, and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is seeking public comment on a few specific portions of the 311-page document. ACHD is also hosting an opportunity to provide testimony at a public hearing slated for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10 at the Clairton Municipal Building. GASP will be in attendance to testify and stand in solidarity with residents and fellow advocates calling for accountability. We will also be submitting formal comments by the Jan. 18 deadline. We hope folks can join us Wednesday in Clairton to support our friends in the Mon Valley, who have suffered thanks to toxic emissions from their giant corporate neighbor. Head on over to the ACHD website to sign up to provide a public comment and/or get the skinny on how to attend the hearing. If you’d like a little more information on why this déjà vu redo happened in the first place and some details about the permit’s deficiencies, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know… QUICKLY, WHAT IS A TITLE V PERMIT? A Title V permit is a snapshot that includes all emissions limits and standards to which an emissions source is subject, as well as all operating, monitoring, and reporting requirements that apply at the time the permit is issued. By including all requirements in one document, these permits help source operators comply with those regulations. They also help regulators and members of the public enforce those requirements–all with the ultimate goal of reducing air pollution. GASP maintains a Title V permit clearinghouse, showing permits for sources in the area. If you’d like to learn more, check it out here. But it’s worth noting that Title V permits don’t create new rules or standards. We know the mishmash of cross-references in permits is anything but clear, but the permit needs to point to an existing law, regulation, court order, agreement, etc., for all its terms. HOW DID CLAIRTON COKE’S TITLE V PERMIT REAPPEAR ON THE RADAR? On Jan. 13, 2022, ACHD published a draft Title V permit open to public comment for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. It was a long time coming: U.S. Steel applied to renew the permit in 2016. Many groups and individuals added their two cents, and after reviewing the input, on Nov. 21, 2022, ACHD issued the permit, but there were two more legal hurdles to clear before the permit was officially official. First, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had to review the permit and give its blessing to proceed with it as issued. In November 2022, the EPA did just that. Second, groups and individuals who commented on the permit but did not see the changes they expected had a right to appeal the permit. In March 2023, GASP did just that. Specifically, our petition argued that the Title V permit failed to include a compliance schedule, which is required by the Clean Air Act when a facility is out of compliance with emission standards or other permit requirements at the time a Title V permit is issued. Importantly, a separate petition filed by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), PennFuture, and Clean Air Council, argued that the Title V permit did not include monitoring and testing requirements sufficient to assure compliance with multiple air quality emissions limitations for many processes throughout the facility. This might strike you as a bit odd, but those petitions went to the EPA, the exact agency that in November 2022 already approved the permit. But give the EPA credit: In Sept. 2023, the agency issued an order granting almost all of the groups’ claims related to testing, monitoring, and reporting requirements as well as GASP’s claim regarding a compliance schedule. The order required ACHD to revise the Title V permit and/or the permit record in accordance with its decision, and just before festive season 2023, ACHD published a revised Title V permit for review. WHY THE TITLE V PERMIT NEEDS YOU First, there is a very important wrinkle to this comment period compared to others: ACHD is only interested in hearing input on the revised sections of the Tite V permit, not the entire permit. If you had your heart set on reviewing all 311 pages of the permit, sorry. Them’s the rules. On the bright side, ACHD documented every single change in a 25-page memo. It’s not light reading, but it’s not 311 pages. As for those changes, there are a lot of them, and many address the technical aspects of complying with the EPA’s order to ACHD. For example, U.S. Steel must now monitor the oxygen content of the Boiler No. 2 flue gas within 3% of the measured value and be recorded to the nearest 0.1%. That might be a bit in the weeds to address in the three minutes speakers are allotted at public hearings, but if you’re up for it, have at it. GASP will be focusing on the compliance plan EPA ordered ACHD to create because we’re pretty sure ACHD didn’t do what the EPA put in its order. To summarize, the EPA told ACHD to: Identify specific non-compliance issues Come up with remedial measures designed to lead to compliance and Put U.S. Steel on a schedule for those remedial measures, including an enforceable sequence of actions with milestones The draft Title V permit has a new Compliance Plan Requirement, but there isn’t a clear statement of what processes at Clairton Coke were non-compliant. We appreciate that Clairton Coke is a large, complex facility, but ACHD could have at least listed the processes that led to U.S. Steel racking up nearly $15 million in fines over the past five years (and that’s just the fines related to the 2019 settlement, the 2022 pushing emissions order, and the h2s exceedances orders from 2022 and 2023). The compliance plan measures also appear to borrow heavily from OSHA regs, which we’re pretty sure already applied to the facility, and the milestones are a bit murky. Ultimately, the details of the compliance schedule also are bit too in the weeds to get into in three minutes, but the point we hope to make at the hearing is that ACHD must demand U.S. Steel clean up its act. The law is clear: If U.S. Steel wants to make coke in Clairton, there must be a plan to get the full facility fully compliant with applicable requirements.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this week announced that the Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Community Fund steering committee has finalized a protocol implementation plan, which establishes the advisory board’s role in executing projects and that applications are now being sought. By way of background: The $5 million Environmental Mitigation Community Fund was created as part of the consent order and agreement (COA) signed between DEP and Shell Chemicals Appalachia LLC. Under the agreement, Shell formally acknowledged that the company exceeded total emission limitations for air contaminants, agreed to make repairs to reduce future exceedances, and agreed to pay nearly $10 million to DEP and the local community – including $5 million for environmental projects to benefit the local communities. The plan also names The Pittsburgh Foundation as the trustee to manage and disburse the funds. The Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Community Fund advisory board is composed of representatives of organizations serving Beaver County and those spearheading environmental justice within DEP that recommend community project applications for selection and award funding. Information on the community fund, permitting, and compliance information is available on DEP’s community information webpage for the facility: dep.pa.gov/Shell. The application period for community projects to benefit the environment, health, and/or quality of life for communities in Beaver County will run through Feb. 29. A link to the application and more information can be found on DEP's community information webpage for the fund. A few necessary details: There is no minimum or maximum funding level, so applicants may apply for funding at an amount appropriate for their project. If funds are still available, there may be more application periods opened and projects funded. At least one project selected for funding should provide for regular, independent air quality testing in the vicinity of the facility. Also, at least one selected project should focus on meaningful community education and engagement that fosters civic participation. Projects that meet this criteria are encouraged. Eligible organizations must be classified as a 501(c)(3) or partner with one and be based in Beaver County or partner with a Beaver County-based organization. The advisory board will host two in-person public meetings, one virtual public meeting, two virtual question-and-answer sessions, and weekly virtual office hours. The virtual office hours will provide guidance and answer questions for prospective applicants. Dates, times, locations or log-in details will be posted on DEP’s community information webpage for the fund. Editor's Note: Stay tuned! GASP continues to follow this issue and will keep you posted as the process proceeds.

January is National Radon Action Month, marking a time of increased outreach and public awareness for this serious health hazard. What’s Radon & Why Should I Care? Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally through the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks. It can seep into homes through cracks in basements and foundations, then build up inside to concentrations many times the recommended level. It’s also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking. That’s why the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working with home builders, school districts, realtors, and other state departments to address radon issues. The Keystone State is particularly prone to elevated radon levels, and the only way homeowners can know for sure if they have a radon problem is to test their home. DEP recommends that all homes and public and private buildings get tested. The department notes that the best time to test is during the colder months when homes and buildings are closed and radon is most likely to be trapped and building up to higher levels. How Can I Test Radon Levels in My Home? Fortunately, the DEP and our friends at the American Lung Association are working to provide radon test kits to Pennsylvania residents who have not yet tested their homes for this dangerous gas. These free radon test kits are available throughout the Commonwealth from the American Lung Association (while supplies last). By way of background: Radon test kits are also available for about $20 to $30 at many home improvement and hardware stores, as well as from Pennsylvania-certified radon laboratories. Here’s how they work: Completed test kits are forwarded to a Pennsylvania-certified lab where the sample is analyzed, and the results are provided to the home or building owner. Depending on the results, a permanent radon mitigation system may be needed. Those typically cost between $800 and $1,200 and require minimal maintenance. Is Radon the Only Indoor Air Quality Issue I Should Be Concerned About? Unfortunately, no, not by a long shot. There’s also asbestos, methane and other indoor air contaminants that impact your health and wellbeing. We encourage fellow breathers to attend GASP’s FREE upcoming Making the Connection virtual presentation on understanding common in-home environmental hazards. You'll gain valuable insights into identifying and minimizing environmental hazards in your home. Our expert speakers will cover topics such as indoor air quality and exposure to asbestos, lead, and radon. You'll learn practical tips and strategies to create a safer and healthier living environment for you and your loved ones. We'll focus on issues relevant in our region. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and take proactive steps toward a safer home - you can register here. Our panelists include: Rhett Major, The Energy Doctor and inspector Heath Papinchak, MPH, PhD, CPI, Welcome Home Inspections Nesta Bortey-Sam, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Pitt Editor’s Note: We also encourage folks concerned about their indoor air quality to check out our friends at ROCIS. The group has a FREE low-cost monitoring project starting soon. Check it out and sign up here.

Can we get a little cheesy? Just for a minute? As the year draws to a close, many of us reflect on the things we're grateful for. Here at GASP, we’re grateful for YOU. Because thanks to YOUR support, we can continue to show up and do what we do best: Be a vigilant watchdog, progressive policy advocate, and unwavering supporter of frontline communities. As yinz know (especially those who grapple daily with pollution from industrial bad actors), clean air - while a right - has not been a given for the Pittsburgh region generally and the Mon Valley specifically. And improvements to our air quality haven’t come easy. It’s taken tireless advocacy, unparalleled collaboration, and unwavering dedication - all things we’ve prided ourselves on for more than 50 years. GASP staff shows up every day and takes VERY seriously its role as our region's leading clean air watchdog, fighting for the health and well-being of our communities. But as we’ve said, air quality advocacy has long been a David vs. Goliath-type endeavor. Fortunately, members like you have had our backs. Your donations have helped level the playing field since 1969. As we get ready to close the books on 2023 and jump into the new year, we want to remind you that your tax-deductible, year-end donation can do so much good and is so appreciated. Here's why your year-end donation to GASP matters: We make a direct impact on air quality: GASP's work has led to significant improvements in air quality across the region, reducing harmful pollutants and protecting the health of our neighbors. We amplify the voices of frontline community members and their lived experiences: GASP works tirelessly to ensure that all voices are heard, especially those most impacted by air pollution. We empower the next generation of air quality champions: GASP's educational programs equip young people with the knowledge and tools to become environmental changemakers. Please know that your year-end donation to GASP is an investment in the health and well-being of your community. Every dollar you contribute helps us: Hold polluters accountable: When necessary, GASP takes legal action against regulators and members of the regulated community that violate air quality regulations, ensuring they are held responsible for their actions. Advocate for clean air policies: GASP works with policymakers at all levels to fight for stronger regulations to protect air quality. Educate the public: GASP provides educational resources and programs to empower people to take action for clean air. So this year-end, your pals here at GASP are asking you to give the gift of clean air. Your tax-deductible donation to GASP will make a real difference in the lives of people in your community. Here are ways you can donate: Visit GASP's website: https://www.gasp-pgh.org/donate Mail a check to GASP at 1133 S Braddock Ave Ste 1a, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 Donate by phone: (412) 924-0604 Onward and upward, The GASP Team

Did you hear? Allegheny County on Monday announced the first cohort for its Indoor Air Quality Improvement pilot program with 20 childcare programs in environmental justice communities. Here’s what’s going on: The goal of the pilot is to reduce the spread of respiratory infections and viruses through ventilation improvements. The pilot will also monitor whether changes reduce the frequency and severity of asthma flares in children, and if children's program attendance rates improve. The cost-free pilot was initiated through a partnership between the state Department of Children Initiatives and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The $462,000 pilot is funded through ACHD's COVID-19 Emergency Action Fund and a PA-DOH grant. Because of the variable nature of the physical locations and the varied solutions the cost per childcare facility will vary. The engineering firm Stantec is evaluating the centers to help identify the best solution for each physical space - whether that means improving ventilation systems or installing plug-in HEPA filters. In total, 76 facilities applied to be part of the pilot opened for application on Aug. 17. In early September, 20 providers were selected. The pilot measures impact through child care infectious disease tracking (before and after) and the number of days children are absent due to chronic respiratory illnesses. The departments hope the pilot can demonstrate success and be used as a state-level model to support regulated childcare facilities in improving air quality, particularly for children with chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma. The data will be tracked for a year, hoping to continue if the pilot is extended beyond its June 30, 2024 end date. Some good news: Funds are expected to be available in 2024 for other participants. The first cohort includes the following facilities:

Earlier this year we blogged about EPA’s proposed revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for coke-making facilities (including the ones nearby in Clairton and Monessen) and integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities (including the Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock). While those revisions have not yet been finalized, they have come under attack from a group of United States Senators, both Democrats and Republicans, including Pennsylvania’s own Senator Bob Casey, Jr. You can read the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s report about the letter (which contains a link to the letter itself) here, but this quote from the letter is its gist: We have serious concerns with these proposed rules because they would dramatically undermine the domestic steel industry and national security while driving production overseas likely resulting in no net reduction in emissions from the steel industry globally. Reducing the emission of harmful air pollutants should be done based upon sound science and with proven technology that is both technically and economically feasible. “The Senators do not describe how EPA failed to base its proposed revisions upon ‘sound science and … proven technology that is both technically and economically feasible,’” GASP senior attorney John Baillie said.  “Nor do they acknowledge EPA’s own extensive findings regarding the proposed revisions’ technical and economic feasibility or the benefits to Americans’ health that would follow the revisions.” GASP encourages folks to let Sen. Casey know how you feel about this here.