With the Climate Clock ticking, it’s never been more urgent for a societal paradigm shift that prioritizes sustainability. The Climate Crisis is real and as governmental agencies across the globe, communities near and far, and corporations big and small grapple with how to implement the big changes necessary for significant progress, there are so many small ways we as individuals can make a difference, too. Here are four ways to be a sustainability champion in 2023: #1 Reduce Food Waste Many people are surprised to learn just how much food waste is driving the Climate Crisis. Consider this: Experts say more than a third of all food in the United States goes either unsold or uneaten each year. When you do the math, it comes out to more than $400 billion worth of food - waste with a greenhouse gas footprint equivalent to 4 percent of our national GHG emissions. Here’s what happens: Potent greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane are created when that food waste begins decaying in your local landfill. And it’s significant: Experts estimate that about one-sixth of our methane emissions stem from wasted food. To put it another way, Stanford University estimates that nationally, the greenhouse gases emitted by landfills equate to emissions generated by 23 million cars. Fortunately, food waste warriors have emerged locally, helping the Pittsburgh area more efficiently tackle the problem. One is 412 Food Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing good food from entering the waste stream by redirecting it to folks who are experiencing food insecurity. Since its inception in 2015, the organization and a burgeoning team of volunteers have rescued more than 21 million points of food. And all those food rescues made a big air quality impact, helping to mitigate more than 11.5 million pounds of CO2 emissions. Another is Ecotone Renewables, a company whose mission is “closing the food loop” by transforming otherwise wasted food and turning it into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer. Since its inception, the Swissvale-based business has repurposed more than 6,000 pounds of food waste. Also check out Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, an organization founded in ‘92 to connect farmers, businesses, and consumers to local, healthy food – from farm to fork. We also recommend you consider getting into the composting game either on your own or with the help of Worm Return, a service that “turns kitchen scraps into garden gold.” The Allentown-based company contracts with local businesses and households to keep food scraps out of landfills by providing composting services. For the uninitiated: Composting is defined as the act of collecting and storing organic material like plants and food scraps so they can decay and be added to soil to improve its quality. Compost needs three basic components: Brown material – This includes dead leaves, branches, and twigs. Green material – This includes coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps, and grass clippings. Water Bonus: Composting cuts down on the need for chemical fertilizers and can help remediate contaminated soil. Interested? You can learn more from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about how to get started here. #2 Forgo Fast Fashion Each year more than 80 billion items of clothing are purchased each year and the majority of which will be thrown in the trash, which adds up: The World Resources Institute estimates that the so-called “fast fashion” industry annually releases about 1.2 billion tons of the potent greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. For those who might be unfamiliar: The term “fast fashion” refers to an approach to clothing design, creation, and marketing that emphasizes getting the newest trends from catwalks to consumers as quickly – and cheaply – as possible. But the environmental toll is high: Experts estimate that the fast fashion industry is responsible for nearly 10 percent of annual global emissions. The best way to combat fashion-related waste and pollution is to change your buying habits. Whether you’re looking to buy something new to you, or donate something you can no longer use, there are many local resources. Check out Dress for Success Pittsburgh, East End Community Thrift, Goodwill, Red, White & Blue Thrift Store, Salvation Army , St. Vincent de Paul Society Or check out one of these local sustainable designers/shops. To learn more about clothes recycling opportunities, check out these organizations and programs: Blue Jeans Turn Green Project, The Bra Recyclers, Council for Textile Recycling, Secondary Materials for Recycled Textiles, and Zero Waste Box. #3 Say No to Single-Use Plastics In what should be news for nobody, we have a plastics problem globally. The statistics about our reliance on single-use plastics are staggering. Did you know: Only 9 percent of all plastics produced each year are recycled. Worldwide 22 million plastic shopping bags are used each minute. More than a third of plastics produced every year end up in our oceans and 75 percent of beach litter globally is - you guessed it - plastic. Fortunately, we have local organizations dedicated to eliminating single-use plastics. Learn more about the issue and check out the host of resources our friends at Pittsburghers Against Single-Use Plastics have on their website. #4 Get Involved! There are intentions. And then there are actions. Or as James Russell Lowell once said, “All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.” This year, we hope you’ll continue to take action alongside us. Because when it comes to improving our air quality, southwestern Pennsylvania still has a long way to go. Together we have and will continue to make a difference. Please consider becoming a member today, bookmark our Blog Against Smog, and take a moment to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter for news, air quality updates, and calls to action.

A federal district court judge has approved a long-awaited consent decree that settles years of air quality violations at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson works, requires numerous improvements at the North Braddock facility, and imposes a $1.5 million fine on the company. The judge’s Dec. 16 order finalized the agreement entered into by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), and U.S. Steel. GASP and many others submitted official comments on the proposed decree to the DOJ in June 2022, raising concerns about the terms of the agreement, the sufficiency of the steps U.S. Steel must take to correct problems at the facility, and the use and adequacy of the fine. In an October 2022 court filing, the DOJ explained how it and other parties viewed the public input they received: “After carefully reviewing and considering each comment, the United States has concluded that the comments do not provide a basis for rejecting the Decree.” Importantly, it is not clear which, if any, commenters suggested the Consent Decree be rejected outright. It appears many commenters wanted changes, alterations, or at least a chance to be heard regarding ACHD’s use of its portion of the $1.5 million fine for a trail project, but all to no avail. Regardless of how the commenters’ aims were characterized, the result is the same: The final Consent Decree approved in December 2022 is identical to the Consent Decree made public in May 2022. In this matter, the public had no voice. But ACHD took a very creative approach to disagree with that position. As part of the final decree, half of the $1.5 million fine will 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.” Many commenters pointed out that ACHD’s proposed use of the $750,000 fine lacked public input. ACHD responded, “the Turtle Creek Connector Trail Feasibility Study recounts that the Connector Trail was the subject of an extensive public engagement process that included a website, press releases, a virtual public meeting, fliers, signs, public open houses, and direct engagement with municipal officials and stakeholders.” By suggesting that public input on a study assessing the feasibility of trail project is somehow a valid substitute for taking public input on how best to use a $750,000 fine, ACHD appears to be more interested in manipulative wordplay than engaging with the affected community. In fact, ACHD has an official policy encouraging “active solicitation and consideration of community input” when using fines to pay for community projects. When addressing that policy specifically, ACHD again only noted dates and times when the trail feasibility study authors “collaborated to gather input from the public and affected communities” by way of a “website, press releases, a virtual public meeting, fliers and brochures, signs along trails, public open houses, and direct engagement with municipal officials and stakeholders.” At no point did ACHD address the actual, pending, as-yet-unanswered, relevant question(s) posed to it regarding actions it took to seek community input on the wisdom of spending a $750,000 fine levied against U.S. Steel for violations at its Edgar Thomson facility on a trail project. Other justifications provided in the court filing for not accommodating the affected, concerned community mostly centered on the expertise of the agencies, discretion afforded to the agencies when settling enforcement cases, and the agreement between the parties already being “fair, reasonable, and consistent with the goals of the (Clean Air Act).” Regarding those fair and reasonable terms, you can get background on the longstanding emissions issues at the Edgar Thomson facility and the fixes proposed in the decree here. Briefly, the decree requires engineering evaluations of several processes, the adoption of engineering recommendations, improvements in emission controls, enhanced on-site air quality monitoring and more thorough maintenance practices. “U.S. Steel facilities in the Mon Valley have been under some form of a consent order for most of the past 50 years,” GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy said. “The company has a bad habit of only fully complying with the law when compelled to do so by order of the court. I don’t think yet another consent decree addresses the underlying problem or addresses the public’s frustration.” On the community impact specifically, GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell added: “While these negotiations dragged on, people were suffering and the agencies provided no updates to the public. After considering and rejecting public input, the agencies didn’t update the public and kept their response document behind a paywall. It’s hard to believe the agencies have the public’s best interest in mind.” He continued: “We hope this will be the consent decree that finally solves the problems, but we’ll believe it when, and if, we see it. For now, this does not feel like a just outcome.” Editor’s Note: You can download the publicly available consent decree documents here.

U.S. Steel on Tuesday filed a petition regarding Allegheny County Health Department's air quality enforcement procedures that led to a portion of the stipulated penalties it was assessed last year. GASP staff is currently reviewing the order and on Friday submitted a public records request to ACHD seeking myriad documents, videos, and photographs referenced in the order that were not made public. Stay tuned, we’ll let you know what we find out. In the meantime, we recommend you read the petition for yourself here.

This story was updated to include more links to news articles related to the settlement agreement. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in a press release Monday announced that it has finalized the settlement agreement and order with U.S. Steel that was issued in June of 2019. The announcement comes more than six months after ACHD held a public hearing to receive comments on the settlement—a hearing at which GASP and myriad other environmental organizations and residents spoke. The agreement addresses ACHD’s 2018 enforcement order and all subsequent penalties issued against the Clairton Coke Works from 2018-19. It also requires the company to meet the improvement criteria of the 2018 enforcement order, which includes $200 million in plant improvements. ACHD said two important elements of the final order have been completed: A Community Benefit Trust has been established for impacted communities: Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue. These communities will be able to utilize funds for projects that improve, protect, or reduce the risk to public health or the environment. The Smithfield Trust Company will serve as administrator of the trust and will guide the communities with all aspects of administration. These communities represent the areas that modeling has demonstrated to be the most immediately impacted by the emissions from the Clairton Coke Works and have previously been designated by EPA for failing to meet particulate matter standards. Neither ACHD nor U.S. Steel will be involved in the administration of this trust. The current trust deposits are: $2,459,253 (Initial Deposit – July of 2019) $669,262.50 (2nd and 3rd quarter penalties of 2019) 90 percent of all battery fugitive emissions violations at the Clairton Coke Works will be deposited into the Community Benefit Trust for approximately five years. Citizens and elected officials from Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue will be selected to be part of a Community Advisory Panel. The Panel will meet quarterly with representatives from U.S. Steel to discuss concerns related to the Clairton Coke Works. View the amendment to the agreement here. To view the public comment and response document, and for additional information regarding the Community Benefit Trust, visit ACHD’s legal page: http://bit.ly/2H2jnWh. Editor’s Note: GASP is reviewing the finalized settlement agreement, please check back—this story will be updated with reaction and links to associated media stories. Environmental Trust Fund Established for Five Mon Valley Communities, published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Finalizes Settlement with U.S. Steel, published by KDKA U.S. Steel, Allegheny County Finalize Clairton Coke Works Emissions Settlement, published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review U.S. Steel, Allegheny County Health Department Finalize Air Pollution Settlement Agreement and Order, published by WESA U.S. Steel and Health Department Finalize Settlement Agreement, published by the Pittsburgh Business Times #USSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday announced a proposal to strengthen a key national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution (PM2.5) to better protect communities, including those most overburdened by pollution. Fine particles are able to penetrate deep into the lungs and can result in serious health effects that include asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death – disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations including children, older adults, those with heart or lung conditions, as well as communities of color and low-income communities across the nation. These particles may be emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites or smokestacks; other particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industrial facilities like U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works, and vehicles. EPA's proposal will specifically take comment on strengthening the primary (health-based) annual PM2.5 standard from a level of 12 micrograms per cubic meter to a level between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter, reflecting the latest health data and scientific evidence. The Agency is also taking comments on the full range (between 8 and 11 micrograms per cubic meter) included in the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee's (CASAC) latest report. Since EPA completed its last review of the PM NAAQS in 2012, thousands of new scientific studies have demonstrated the dangers of soot exposure. Strengthening the primary annual PM2.5 standard is expected to address disparities and would result in significant public health benefits. EPA estimates that if finalized, a strengthened primary annual PM2.5 standard at a level of 9 micrograms per cubic meter, the lower end of the proposed range, would prevent: up to 4,200 premature deaths per year; 270,000 lost workdays per year; result in as much as $43 billion in net health benefits in 2032. According to the release: EPA will work closely with state, local, and Tribal air agencies to implement the revised primary annual PM2.5 standard when finalized. Today's proposal is the latest in a broader suite of programs under President Biden's leadership to reduce air pollution that threatens communities. These programs include the proposed Good Neighbor Plan to address smog that affects downwind states, rules to address air pollution from oil and gas operations, including methane pollution, and other critical rules to reduce emissions from power plants and the transportation sector, such as the recently finalized Clean Trucks Rule that will slash smog- and soot-forming pollution from heavy-duty trucks. EPA is also proposing to revise other aspects related to the PM standards – such as monitoring requirements and the Air Quality Index (AQI) – that will help states and Tribal Nations meet the revised standards while making significant strides toward protecting the health of all people, including at-risk populations. The Agency is proposing to retain the primary 24-hour PM2.5 standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter, while taking comment on revising this level to as low as 25 micrograms per cubic meter. By way of background: In June 2021, EPA announced it would reconsider the Trump administration's December 2020 decision to retain the 2012 PM2.5 standards because available scientific evidence and technical information indicated that the standards may not be adequate to protect public health and welfare. In developing today's proposal, EPA considered the best available science and technical information, including an Integrated Science Assessment and updated Policy Assessment that were made available for public comment and for expert review by the Agency's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and CASAC PM expert panel. EPA carefully evaluated the recommendations of the CASAC in developing the proposed rule. EPA will accept public comment for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. EPA will also conduct a virtual public hearing over several days for this proposed rulemaking, with the hearing beginning at 11:00 am Eastern Time and concluding at 7:00 pm ET each day. EPA will begin pre-registering speakers for the hearing upon publication of the announcement of the public hearings in the Federal Register. Additional information will also be made available on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM webpage. After reviewing comments, the Agency plans to issue final standards later this year. Click here for more information on the NAAQS review process and other documents related to this reconsideration. Editor’s Note: GASP staff is reviewing the proposal. Stay tuned, we’ll have more information on how to make your voice heard on this important issue. Until then, here are some media links with more details about the announcement: EPA proposes new rule to crack down on deadly air pollution, CNN EPA seeks tougher limits on soot, Washington Post EPA proposes tighter particulate standards, LA Times

At GASP we aim to be a resource for not only residents but for municipal officials, too, so they can better understand and take action on important air quality issues specific to their communities. And now, thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), we’ve crafted an educational primer that addresses everything from air quality sources and regulations to local grant funding opportunities and community resources. We’re also taking our educational advocacy on the road, hosting air quality workshops in Allegheny and surrounding counties for local elected and municipal officials. GASP is hopeful these workshops will help equip your local leaders with the information they need to better represent you on the air quality front. “Municipal officials and elected leaders are tasked with understanding the intricacies of so many important issues facing their communities - from taxes and budgets to road maintenance and zoning rules,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We know just how complex air quality issues can be and hope that our primer will be a go-to resource for local officials.” GASP educator Laura Kuster agreed. “The information compiled in our primer and shared in our workshops goes beyond FAQs about air pollutants and emissions sources,” she said. “It also provides details about grant funding sources and information related to creating climate action plans.” And there are perks to attend: At each workshop, municipal officials who attend will be eligible to win a free PurpleAir monitor for placement in their community. GASP is currently seeking community partners in Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties (we’re lookin’ at you, civic groups, education centers, and libraries). Stay tuned, GASP will be hosting workshops throughout 2023. Editor’s Note: If you’re a community group, municipal official, or staff member reading this and you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to email our executive director for more details at patrick@gasp-pgh.org.

In addition to spiked levels of fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO2) was also elevated, hitting 71 ppb Thursday night, just shy of a NAAQS exceedance. That’s not all: Thursday marked seven days in a row that the Liberty monitor exceeded the 0.005 ppm 24-hour hydrogen sulfide (H2S) standard. For those who may not have been following the story: A strong weather inversion this week helped trap air pollutants closer to the ground, helping to spur the spike at the Liberty monitor. As a result, the Liberty-Clairton area appeared several times on the list of areas in the country with the worst air quality index. The persisting poor air quality prompted the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue Code Orange Air Quality Action Days twice this week. The Allegheny County Health Department also issued statements on Monday and Thursday alerting the public to the inversion and its potential to exacerbate air pollution events. The department’s statements reiterated that the department was in daily contact with U.S. Steel officials, that the company’s Clairton Works and other Mon Valley Works facilities were operating under normal conditions and within their permit limits. In the message issued Thursday afternoon, ACHD officials said that while weather conditions were expected to improve, they encouraged residents to continue to make air quality complaints online. While the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) appreciates that ACHD is communicating with residents more frequently about important air quality issues that impact public health as of late, more is needed than lip service. “Weather is obviously not a pollution-control measure,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “We’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating: Even when operating under normal conditions, U.S. Steel is permitted to literally emit tons of pollution every year. The company has demonstrated that it can operate at a reduced production rate when market conditions aren’t prime, which means they could choose to do so when weather conditions are poor. They choose not to.” GASP on Friday renewed its call for ACHD to update and strengthen coke-oven regulations in an effort to reduce industrial emissions. By way of background: More stringent coke-oven regulations are important because coke-making is, among other things, a primary source of H2S in Allegheny County. In fact, U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is the largest emitter of H2S in the entire state. By a lot. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, Clairton Coke Works self-reported emitting about 120 tons of H2S in 2018—the most recent year for which data is available—while the self-reported emissions for all other sources in Pennsylvania combined totaled about 36.5 tons. Editor’s Note: We graphed the ACHD air quality data for those who want to take a deeper dive into the numbers: #H2S #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #RachelFilippini #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality #MonValleyWorks

The cause? A strong weather inversion, one that also helped trap air pollutants closer to the ground, prompting a spike in fine particulate matter (also known as PM2.5). The Liberty-Clairton area appeared several times on the list of areas in the United States with the worst air quality index. It wasn’t unexpected: The inversion and poor air quality it helped create prompted the Allegheny County Health Department to issue a special public statement warning the public of the health impacts associated with elevated levels of air pollution. The state Department of Environmental Protection sent out its own warnings, declaring Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as Code Orange Air Quality Action Days. How bad was it? Today makes six days in a row that the Liberty monitor exceeded the 0.005 ppm 24-hour h2s standard. Preliminary data from ACHD also showed an exceedance of the 24-hour average PM2.5 NAAQS limit on Dec. 21, Dec. 22, Dec. 23, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. ACHD’s statement about the inversion and heightened levels of air pollutants noted that officials had been “in touch” with major emissions source operator U.S. Steel, saying there was “no unusual activity” at the company’s Clairton Coke Works. The message also indicated that all of the company’s Mon Valley facilities were “operating within their permit limits.” However, GASP’s Executive Director Rachel Filippini wanted to be sure to put the situation into perspective. “Temperature inversions are natural weather phenomena that we cannot alter, but we do have the power to reduce the amount of pollution coming from local sources when we know one is taking place or is forecast to take place,” she said. “Given how poor local air quality has been, industry – especially in the Mon Valley – could and should be proactive and take steps to minimize the air pollution to which we are all subjected. And ACHD should do more to ensure these companies act like the good neighbors they claim they want to be.” She added: “Even operating under normal conditions, U.S. Steel is permitted to emit tons of pollution each year. If the company can operate at a reduced production rate due to market conditions, surely it can be proactive about public health and operate less when stagnant air is predicted.” UPDATE: On Thursday afternoon ACHD released the following statement from its Deputy Director of Environmental Health Jim Kelly via the county’s Allegheny Alert notification system regarding air quality in the region: “The Allegheny County Health Department continues to monitor the air quality in our region following several days of heavy fog, very light winds and continued strong and lengthy temperature inversions. The weather resulted in the DEP twice forecasting a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for PM2.5 on December 24 and 25 for the Liberty-Clairton area. Preliminary data has shown exceedances of the 24-hour federal PM2.5 standard at the Liberty monitor (greater than 35 micrograms per cubic meter) from Saturday, December 21 through Wednesday, December 25. As a result, ACHD’s Air Quality Division has been in daily communication with U.S. Steel and other facilities in the Mon Valley to monitor all activity and ensure compliance with their permits. While air quality is expected to continue to improve in the upcoming days, residents are encouraged to submit air quality complaints by calling 412-687-ACHD (412-687-2243) or using the department’s online form: http://bit.ly/2PQoWLK.” Editor’s Note: For those who want to take a deeper dive into the monitored data, check out these graphs: #airpollution #RachelFilippini #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #DEP #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Monday issued an Allegheny Alert regarding an enforcement order against U.S. Steel – one that called for a fine of $10,560 to be levied. The Allegheny Alert read: ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel on March 25, 2019, due to a failed stack test at the Clairton Coke Works that occurred in November of 2018. Battery 13’s combustion stack exceeded the limit for particulate matter (PM2.5) outlined in its permit. The order required a retest of the Battery 13 stack and corrective actions to be taken to bring the battery into compliance. The first retest of this stack took place in April of 2019, and results indicated another failure of the emission limit. During a second retest in June of 2019, results indicated compliance. The process to confirm compliance consists of comprehensive data analysis, review and verification, and can take up to six months and was just recently completed. Today, ACHD notified U.S. Steel that it has levied a fine of $10,560 against the company for failing to meet compliance limits for the retest of Battery 13 in April of 2019. ACHD noted in the Alert that the enforcement action is not related to the Dec. 24, 2018 fire at Clairton Coke Works. The message from ACHD also included a link to the letter sent explaining that the department had levied the fine, as well as the enforcement order, dated Friday (Dec. 20). U.S. Steel has 30 days to either pay the fine levied or appeal the order. Editor’s Note: Please check back – this story will be updated with more information as it becomes available. #enforcementorder #USSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks

Erie Coke Corp. has shut down operations at its bay-front facility, according to news reports. GoErie.com’s Madeleine O’Neil reported that employees who showed up for work this morning were turned away, and that the company released a statement shortly before noon Thursday to confirm that the plant would be permanently shut down. This news comes in the wake of a protracted legal battle between Erie Coke Corp. and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which this summer denied the company’s Title V permit and sought to have operations there shut down after repeated – and numerous – environmental violations. It wasn’t immediately clear whether a scheduled February proceeding before the Environmental Hearing Board would be canceled now that company officials have decided to shutter the plant. The closure comes days after the company announced that it would have to truck wastewater from the facility for treatment off-site after missing a deadline set by the city to come into compliance with wastewater rules. “A decision of that magnitude wasn’t made overnight. Blindsiding employees a week before Christmas is outrageous and its management team should be ashamed,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. The grassroots group Hold Erie Coke Accountable (HECA) released the following statement Thursday afternoon: Today is a sad day for the Erie Community. It was never the intent of HECA, Hold Erie Coke Accountable, to close the Erie Coke plant. Our intent was, as our name implies, to hold them accountable, to ensure that they meet the environmental regulations that were meant to safeguard the health and welfare of our community. Public health must be a priority.No one relishes the loss of jobs. Erie Coke has had decades to avoid this moment but chose instead to abuse their workforce and the community here and also in Tonawanda.PA DEP stood up and enforced the regulations designed to protect the Erie community, giving Erie Coke many opportunities to be in compliance. We thank DEP and our elected leaders who have the backs and lungs of their constituents.DEP was supported unanimously by our concerned city and county councils who issued formal resolutions. Our mayor and county executive also were supportive of their constituents.Today’s event is in lockstep with the reality of the new economy where talent, business and investment flows only to locales of high quality of life. Erie Coke’s abuse of people and environment placed a strain on public health, the environment and also the economy by hurting Erie’s ability to compete for business, talent and investment. Environmental justice has been achieved for the people of Erie. Everyone is downwind. And it is admirable that we stood together to stick up for our right to clean air, water, land and life. Erie’s best future is in the hands of its people who no longer need to settle for anything but the best of life. Finally, we need to understand that the work is just beginning. We need to ensure that Erie Coke doesn’t just walk away from the large cleanup that will be needed. Our land, air, water and public health have been sacrificed for decades and if Erie Coke’s closure is imminent, then we need to continue the fight to reclaim the site for the Erie community. And Erie’s concern is sure to be shown in the swift way all come together to help workers displaced by Erie Coke to find new opportunities as soon as possible. Here’s the associated media coverage: From USA Today: Coke plant signals shutdown amid mounting pollution concerns, From GoErie.com: DEP aware of Erie Coke closure; details still unclear From YourErie.com: Erie Coke closes plant down unexpectedly/Department of Environmental Protection weighs in on Erie Coke decision to shut down From CBS: Erie Coke plant closed, workers turned away at gate Editor’s Note: This story will be updated—please check back. #ErieCoke #HoldErieCokeAccountable #ErieCokeCorp #TitleV #HECA #MadeleineONeil #DEP