Ahh, autumn in western Pennsylvania - a time to don cozy sweaters, peep colorful fall foliage, and enjoy all things pumpkin spice. But the crisp weather also ushers in serious seasonal foes: inversions and deteriorating indoor air quality. Our neighbors in the Mon Valley may be familiar with the term inversion, but for the uninitiated: A temperature inversion is an atmospheric condition where warm air lingers above cooler air, trapping air pollutants like fine particulate matter and hydrogen sulfide close to the ground. Our local topography - all those peaks and valleys - exacerbate air pollution episodes spurred by inversions and fueled by industrial emissions because those pollutants get trapped in lower-lying areas (like the Mon Valley), where inversions keep them from dispersing. What You Need to Know About Inversions Locally, we start experiencing inversions more frequently this time of year. Historically, VERY strong inversions have caused spiking concentrations of air pollution and associated malodor. In fact, these VERY strong inversions occur often enough that GASP and fellow air quality advocates pushed the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to formalize a Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule that requires certain companies to take action to minimize emissions of fine particulate matter during these periods of poor air quality. The Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule (which you can read all about here) also requires ACHD to issue public Alerts when a Mon Valley Air Pollution Watch or Warning is triggered. We encourage folks - especially those in the Mon Valley - to be air-aware this fall when it comes to inversions. You can do that by signing up for Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Alerts here. Please also follow GASP on Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram, where we post real-time, actionable information to help you plan your day and mitigate your exposure to air pollutants. How's the Air In There? When we say be air-aware, that means indoor air, too. That’s why we thought now - when cooler weather forces us to close up those windows - we wanted to remind you of some of the most common air pollution pitfalls in your home, as well as some steps you can take to make sure you and yours can breathe healthier air there. Here’s the thing: Recent research has shown that indoor air quality can sometimes be more polluted than one might believe – in some cases more polluted than outdoor air. According to the EPA, Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are often two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations. Many pollutants affecting indoor air quality come from sources inside the building themselves. This could include combustion sources like fireplaces, tobacco smoke, and cooking appliances. It could also originate from cleaning supplies, paints, and insecticides or from the degradation of old building materials or new materials that are off-gassing. We also know indoor air quality can become unhealthy due to outdoor sources of pollution finding their way inside our homes, schools, and office buildings. Outdoor air pollutants can enter buildings through open doors and windows, ventilation systems, and cracks in structures. Some pollutants come indoors through building foundations. Harmful smoke from chimneys and industrial sources can enter homes to pollute the air in the home and neighborhood. In areas with contaminated groundwater or soils, volatile chemicals can enter buildings through the same process. Fortunately, indoor air pollution concentrations from individual sources might not pose a serious health risk by themselves. Unfortunately, the majority of homes have more than one source contributing to indoor air pollution. “There can be a serious risk from the cumulative effects of these sources. Fortunately, there are steps that most people can take both to reduce the risk from existing sources and to prevent new problems from occurring,” the Environmental Protection Agency warns on its website. We’re talking more than radon and asbestos - we’re talking about other culprits such as dust, smoke, and the like. Don’t Forget About Those Filters So, when was the last time you changed your filters? You know, the ones that help keep your furnace and air conditioning systems clean? Do you know the state of your ductwork? Because know this: Having it cleaned can make a big difference, too. If you need some advice on best practices regarding filters and ductwork, the fine folks at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created this handy guide. What About Adding an Air Purifier? Perhaps the simplest way to rid your home of air pollutants is running an air purifier in the most-used areas of your living space. Air purifiers range in price and functionality, and there are even ways to create a DIY air purifier – one that requires only a box fan and a standard HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. Pro Tip: HEPA filters run about $25-$35 and can be purchased at local hardware stores and on Amazon. Forget the Fireplace We know there are diehard fireplace aficionados out there, but we have to tell you: Homes with wood-burning fireplaces have elevated levels of indoor air pollution and you may be unwittingly impacting your neighborhood’s air quality too. Consider using your furnace instead of starting a fire and keep the air your family and your neighbors breathe a little cleaner. If you’re concerned about what’s in the air you’re breathing at home, then please check out Pittsburgh-based ROCIS (Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces), one of our partner organizations offering a number of helpful resources. Editor’s Note: For those interested, ROCIS will soon be starting its latest Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Project. We highly recommend you check out the free opportunity. Here’s what you need to know.

Editor's Note: Good news! The DEP has extended the public comment period. This blog has been updated to reflect that new deadline of Nov. 30. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently debuted a new Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy intended “to facilitate environmental justice in communities across the Commonwealth and ensure equity and environmental justice.” For anyone not in the know, the term Environmental Justice describes the notion that Pennsylvania’s environmental regulation efforts should focus on reducing pollution in areas where poor and/or non-white people live because those communities are - or have been - subject to more pollution compared to wealthier and/or whiter communities. Little Bit of Background on PA’s New Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy First things first: The new policy unveiled on Sept. 16 does not alter any of DEP’s existing duties or modify any existing environmental laws or regulations. What the new policy does do is outline how DEP intends to: reach out proactively to environmental justice communities to encourage their participation in its permitting decisions for facilities that are likely to affect them prioritize the concept of environmental justice in its compliance and enforcement activities use grantmaking, brownfield redevelopment, and pollution mitigation projects to promote environmental justice. The new Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy replaces one that had been in effect since 2004 that defined environmental justice areas as municipalities, where at least 30% of the population was non-white or at least 20% of the population had a family income at or below the federal poverty line. “The old policy encouraged but did not require, applicants for certain environmental permits for facilities in or within one-half mile of an environmental justice area to take steps to promote community participation in permitting processes,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained. He continued: “To our knowledge, it is not clear how successful such efforts were - or even how success would have been measured - whether they affected permitting decisions in a positive way, or whether they contributed to reductions of pollution in environmental justice areas.” How Environmental Justice Areas are Determined in PA The new Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy uses an online mapping tool called PennEnviroScreen to assign a score to each census block in the Commonwealth. The scores are derived from points assigned based on myriad factors such as: Environmental Exposures, including exposure to ozone, fine particulate matter, diesel particulate matter, toxic air emissions, toxic water emissions, pesticides, vehicle emissions, compressor station emissions, and lead; Environmental Effects, including proximity to conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells, railroads, brownfields, and superfund sites, hazardous waste and storage sites, municipal waste sites, coal mines, and associated facilities, impaired lakes and streams, abandoned mines, and areas prone to flooding; Sensitive Populations, including the prevalence of people with asthma, cancer, disabilities, or heart disease, and people without health insurance; and Socioeconomic Factors, including the prevalence of people who are poor, unemployed, non-white, not English speakers, older than 64, or younger than 5, as well as people who did not graduate high school or attend school through ninth grade, and people who are both poor and housing-burdened (meaning, that they pay more than 50% of their monthly incomes for housing). The score assigned to a census block for any particular factor is not relative to an objective standard (like attainment of one of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards or NAAQS) but is relative to the condition that exists regarding that factor in all other census blocks. This means, for example, that census blocks with high ozone levels relative to other census blocks will receive high scores for ozone exposure even if they (and all other census blocks in the Commonwealth) attain the NAAQs for ozone. A census block with a score of more than 80 is designated as an environmental justice area. Some Need-to-Know Info About PA’s New Environmental Justice Policy There are a few things we think are worth noting about the new Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy: First, the environmental justice policy is premised on the idea that some communities do not receive the full benefit of environmental laws and regulations. DEP might serve such communities best by identifying which of its own regulations, policies, and practices contribute to the denial of environmental justice and fixing them. Second, because the scores assigned to census blocks by PennEnviroScreen are relative to the conditions that exist in other census blocks rather than to any objective standard, there will always be some high-scoring census blocks which means there will always be some environmental justice areas. This will be the case even if exposures to environmental threats in all areas of the Commonwealth are at levels thought to be safe. Third, the new policy deemphasizes the race and poverty of community members as factors in determining Environmental Justice areas. Going forward, DEP will use several additional factors that should cause it to move the focus of its outreach efforts to areas in which environmental threats are greatest. However, DEP would do well to determine how its permitting process can be made more transparent and open to public participation in general (perhaps by making more, if not all, draft permits available online, and identifying what information it seeks from the public in its permitting decisions) to encourage such participation from all communities in the Commonwealth and reap the benefits it provides. Fourth, the new policy only applies where DEP has regulatory authority, meaning in part, the policy will not apply to sources of air pollution in Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties, where many of Pennsylvania’s Environmental Justice communities are clustered. For those curious, Allegheny County identifies environmental justice areas using this index but has not adopted a formal policy like DEP’s. How to Weigh In The new Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy and related documents are available by following this link. Although the policy has been in effect since Sept. 16, DEP is accepting comments on it through Nov. 30. Editor’s Note: Stay tuned - GASP will have sample public comment language and an online form for you to easily speak out in this week’s Alert.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this summer proposed policy revisions that will impact coke-making operations including those at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Cleveland Cliffs’ coke ovens in Monessen - and is seeking public input from residents like you. Please join GASP in letting the EPA know that you support tighter regulations for steel-making facilities that will help improve air quality and public health, especially for our most vulnerable neighbors - older folks, children, and those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular issues that make them more susceptible to the impacts of industry-related air pollution. You can get the skinny on the proposed policy revisions from our senior attorney John Baillie here. GASP will be submitting formal comments that you can read here. But we also wanted to make it easy for residents to weigh in. So please fill out our form to share your personal experiences with industrial emissions from local air polluters like U.S. Steel and Cleveland Cliffs and let EPA know you support: Requirements that all coke-making facilities monitor benzene concentrations at four spots along their fencelines that operate continuously and report benzene concentrations that are averaged over two-week-long periods. The proposed reduction for the percentages of leaking coke oven doors, lids, and offtakes that are allowable under the current regulations, with the new limits being dependent upon the facility - the Clairton Coke Works will have stricter limits than all other facilities in the United States, as it should. The establishment of emission limits for six hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from battery stacks including hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen cyanide, and mercury at by-product recovery coke plants like those in Clairton and Monessen for which no such limits currently exist. Editor's Note: The public comment period is now closed.

Many people think of asbestos abatement as an old, pay-it-no-mind issue and are surprised to find out that it is indeed still a very serious risk to public health. That’s especially true here in Allegheny County, where air quality regulators continue to issue asbestos abatement violations to public and private entities bucking the regulations put in place to protect public health. While asbestos does not pose a health risk when left undisturbed during renovation or demolition, however, it’s common for old, brittle asbestos products to release tiny fibers. These tasteless, odorless fibers can remain suspended in the air and enter your lungs when you inhale. And once inhaled, asbestos stays there forever. ​Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can cause some serious health issues including asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pleural disease. That’s why GASP is hosting a FREE lunch and learn program Safe at Home: Understanding Common Environmental Hazards Oct. 25 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill. The event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Our hope is that it will provide 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. 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 “Please secure your tickets ASAP - you'll learn practical tips and strategies to create a safer and healthier living environment for you and your loved ones,” Program and Education Manager Laura Kuster said. “And we’re focusing on issues relevant in our own region.” Bring your questions and appetite because lunch will be provided. Reserve your spot today! Here’s how.

PHOTO CREDIT: BREATHE PROJECT GASP on Tuesday joined our friends and fellow advocates at Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) and others to demand accountability and action following a fire at a Neville Island-based metal recycling facility that took several hours to control and sent a noxious plume of smoke wafting into neighboring communities. The Sept. 16 fire was the second in two years at Metalico - a facility ACCAN and residents have been sounding the alarm over for years - and was the spark for renewed demands for the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to tighten up provisions in its synthetic minor source operating permit and increase regulatory scrutiny. “The community is concerned about the scrap pile fires that occur at Metalico, particularly the very large ones that occurred on April 14, 2021, and on Sept. 16, 2023,” ACCAN wrote in formal comments to ACHD. “In both of these cases, toxic smoke from the fires blew into communities causing panic, health effects, and concerns about what was happening. You can read ACCAN’s full comments here. At a public hearing on that draft permit hosted by ACHD Tuesday, GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell told officials they need to create a crisis communications plan for when outages and fires like the ones at Metalico and Steel’s Mon Valley Works to ensure residents get timely health-based information from the department to help them mitigate exposure to air pollution from these events. Here are his full comments: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a non-profit organization working to improve local air quality since 1969. The fire at Neville Island-based Metalico Recycling on Sept. 16 fouled local air. It frightened local residents, who witnessed more than a dozen fire trucks racing through the township to respond to the blaze. Noxious emissions from the fire impacted residents in places like McKees Rocks, the North Side, the South Side, and as far away as Dormont. Information about the fire and massive plume it created was hard to come by in real-time: Residents told us they wondered why an acrid, burning plastic odor was wafting into their windows, assaulting their olfactory and, in at least one case, waking their small children. While residents on social media and media eventually got the word out, to our dismay, the Allegheny County Health Department was again mum until well after the flames were extinguished. When it did alert residents, the messaging was late and woefully inadequate, telling the public only that the fire had occurred and PM2.5 levels did not exceed regulatory limits. From Metalico’s permit, we all know more was emitted than PM2.5. Yes, ACHD is charged with regulating air pollution sources in the county, however, ACHD is a health department. Residents should be able to trust that when air quality is poor, they can look to you for answers and guidance about how to protect themselves from unhealthy air. There is no reasonable reason preventing ACHD from communicating when emissions emergencies occur at a permitted facility. September 16 was a beautiful night. People likely had their windows open. Residents should be able to expect their HEALTH department to tell them when there’s an industrial emergency at a permitted source that could impact PM2.5, VOC, other hazardous air pollutants, and ultimately their health. Had they been notified, they would have been able to take actions to mitigate exposure. That’s why GASP is calling on ACHD to create a public crisis communication plan for when fires and other emergencies occur at permitted facilities. This was the second fire at Metalico and several fires at other permitted sources this year. During each emergency, the public wasn’t alerted until after. Notifying the public in semi-real time would have prevented exposure to harmful air pollution. Thank you. Stay tuned. GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted. Editor’s Note: Big THANK YOU to WPXI, for its coverage of this important issue. Check it out:

GASP on Thursday presented testimony at a public hearing regarding Allegheny County Health Department’s request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise Allegheny County’s portion of the state Implementation Plan to redesignate it as being in attainment for sulfur National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Here are the comments from Executive Director Patrick Campbell: Good afternoon. I’m Patrick Campbell, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit organization working to improve regional air quality since 1969. Largely due to our region’s continued reliance on coal-fired power plants and industrial processes, several areas in Southwestern Pennsylvania have historically suffered from elevated levels of sulfur dioxide - among them, the Liberty-Clairton area here in Allegheny County. If granted, EPA’s redesignation of Allegheny County as a sulfur dioxide attainment area will signify a significant step forward for cleaner air locally. But we know that attainment is only a step - and we are asking that both the EPA and ACHD remain steadfast in their surveillance and monitoring of SO2. That’s because the air pollutant is still very much a public health issue for the residents of Allegheny County - specifically those who live in or downwind of the industrial facilities that have long driven our area’s SO2 exceedances, like U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works. We know that even short-term exposure to high levels of S02 can cause ailments like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. We know its stench impacts the quality of life for residents. In 2022, there were no exceedances at North Braddock and one exceedance at Liberty. However, so far in 2023, there have been two exceedances at North Braddock and one exceedance at Liberty. Clearly we still have a long way to go to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors in environmental justice areas will no longer be impacted by high levels of SO2. GASP is urging the EPA to carefully monitor Allegheny County’s S02 surveillance and monitoring efforts as it navigates the next step - implementation of its maintenance plan - over the next 10 years. Thank you. Editor’s Note: Stay tuned, GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted.

Allegheny County announced in a press release Wednesday that $2.3 million has been awarded to fund five projects in Mon Valley communities centered on electrification of municipal vehicles and tree planting. Funding for the five projects comes from the Clean Air Fund, a repository for fines and penalties assessed by the Health Department’s Air Quality Program against polluters. While the project numbers might appear balanced – three electrification projects and two for trees – the funding is not: 96% of the money awarded will go to new equipment and a paltry 4% to nature’s air filtration system. Per the release, the projects are: $750,000 to the Steel Rivers Council of Governments, a group that provides support to 19 municipalities in the Mon Valley region, to replace its existing 2006 diesel-powered street sweeper with an electric street sweeper. The organization's current street sweeper will be decommissioned and scrapped. $748,339 to West Mifflin Borough to replace its existing 2007 diesel-powered refuse truck with an electric rear-load garbage packer, as well as install two electric vehicle charging stations and an electrical service upgrade at the vehicle site. Installation of the new electric infrastructure will support the new truck and ensure that the planned conversion to an all-electric municipal vehicle fleet is practicable for the borough. The Borough’s current 2007 diesel-powered refuse truck will be rendered inoperable and scrapped. $700,000 to Swissvale Borough to replace its existing 2016 trash collection truck and 2014 recycling truck with electric versions, as well as install two charging stations at the borough's Public Works Department. The Borough will disable and scrap its existing trucks. $92,000 to Tree Pittsburgh for two separate projects. The first grant will see 75 caliper, balled, and burlap trees planted in the Woodland Hills School District. The second will support the planting of 75 caliper, balled, and burlap trees in the Steel Valley School District. Both plantings will take place as part of the organization's One Tree Per Child program designed to engage students in hands-on educational activities, including tree planting and care. Allegheny County Health Department regulations require that Clean Air Fund projects “support activities related to the improvement of air quality within Allegheny County” or “support activities [that] will increase or improve knowledge concerning air pollution, its causes, its effects, and the control thereof.” Reducing diesel pollution is critical to improving air quality, but call us unconvinced that scrapping two trucks fewer than 10 years old is a prudent use of the Fund. On a related note, thanks to all who supported our efforts recently to urge better management of the Clean Air Fund.

Today, GASP is calling on the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to provide a public update regarding possible opacity violations at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works facilities, what’s causing them, and what it’s doing to stem the issue. Here’s what’s going on: GASP’s volunteer smoke readers (more on those here) have been back in the Mon Valley, with stops in Clairton and Braddock to observe emissions from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Edgar Thompson facilities. Those observations have noted a familiar and disconcerting scene: some nasty brownish plumes coming from the Clairton Coke Works. Over the past several months, GASP staff - and longtime volunteer Melanie Meade of Clairton - did what watchdogs do: We reported the plumes - and the stench of rotten eggs - to the Allegheny County Health Department, our local air quality regulator. We also provided ACHD a heads-up about some high-opacity smoke and industrial odors emanating from the Edgar Thomson facility. In response to these official complaints, ACHD said the department is “currently looking into the photos and investigating to determine if an enforcement action(s) is/are warranted.” GASP then received this response to a subsequent report about the troublesome plumes and what their investigation discovered: “We have been in contact with the facilities regarding the possible sources of visible emissions and odors. We are continuing to inspect the Clairton facility and take enforcement actions for alleged violations of our regulations.” With regard to the visible emissions and odors observed at the Edgar Thomson plant, ACHD believes that “actions to be taken under the proposed Consent Decree will alleviate these emissions and odors.” Stay tuned for a GASP investigation into whether or not U.S. Steel met the obligations set forth in that consent decree. But back to those plumes… We think it’s important to reiterate that these brown plumes of smoke billowing from the U.S. Steel facility are concerning not only because of their high opacity but because of their frequency. Numerous complaints have been made. The time for a substantive update from ACHD is now. “In this information vacuum, the community suffers,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Industrial emissions harm public health. Full stop. Allegheny County residents need - and deserve - action and transparency from their air quality regulators and trust that they are working to stem whatever is causing these brown plumes and associated stench.” Editor’s Note: The ACHD enforcement docket shows the last emissions-related enforcement action levied against U.S. Steel was in March 2022.

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is delighted to announce it has hired Laura Kuster as its new program and education manager. "I see this as a way to maximize GASP's greatest strength; our staff - its experience and talent,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Laura is a well-connected, outgoing educator and strategic thinker and I personally can’t wait to see how her skill set and passion for advocacy and education help GASP continue to grow and more effectively serve our local communities." While the position is new to GASP, Kuster is not: She has served as the nonprofit’s part-time educator since 2019. Prior to her tenure at GASP, she worked as the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s health equity specialist. Kuster earned her undergraduate degree from The College of Wooster and a master’s degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. “I'm grateful for this opportunity to dedicate more time to projects that bring GASP closer to our local communities,” she said. “I'm looking forward to getting to know more colleagues in the advocacy arena as well as residents interested in our regional air quality and finding creative ways we can work together to improve conditions for us all.” GASP President Jonathan Nadle lauded the hire, saying the additional full-time position will allow the organization to expand its educational and outreach offerings in local environmental justice areas. “Laura has done amazing work for GASP as a part-time educator, spearheading our Fresh Voices for Clean Air initiative and taking the lead on the creation of air quality resources for local elected officials,” he said. “We can’t wait to see what she adds to our organization as a full-time staff member. We are fortunate to have her working with us.”

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) was among those who addressed the Allegheny County Board of Health Wednesday when our executive director demanded improved public communications from the Allegheny County Health Department during prolonged periods of unhealthy air quality like our region experienced when wildfire smoke impacted our region. Here's what he said: Good afternoon. I’m Patrick Campbell, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (or GASP), a nonprofit working to improve our air quality since 1969. Waves of Canadian wildfire smoke wafted into our region again since the last time this board convened. The resulting pollution dimmed our skies and fouled our air. At the pollution’s peak, the Air Quality Index or AQI in most parts of the county was well into the Purple, very unhealthy range. GASP followed conditions closely and interacted with myriad residents who shared their fears about potential health impacts from the wildfire smoke and who were seeking clear, actionable information to help them mitigate exposure to this pollution. For so many, it was the worst air quality they had experienced in their lifetime. In public messaging, the PA Department of Health recommended those impacted by wildfire smoke utilize EPA’s AirNow app and its color-coded AQI for real-time air quality conditions. So did the EPA. And the DEP. And the National Weather Service. And the PA Emergency Management Agency. And local news stations. And advocacy groups like GASP. Allegheny County Health Department, meanwhile, pushed the use of its own air quality dashboard - one that displays air quality data averaged over 24 hours. Meaning users needed to access raw data that is not presented in the AQI format for shorter-term considerations like, “Should I let my children play outside this afternoon.” You don’t need to be a mathematician to realize a current or real-time PM2.5 level outside is not the average of the previous 24 hours. To put it another way, if you wanted to know whether to take an umbrella with you to work, you wouldn’t look at the average rainfall over the last 24 hours - you’d want to know if precipitation is imminent. That’s why GASP repeatedly called on the department to promote airnow.gov - it is a superior option to ACHD assigning the public math homework before they go outside. Now we’re calling on this Board to take responsibility for public health. You must ensure that next time, residents in your charge can count on their health officials to provide the information and resources they need to protect themselves and their families. Thank you.