Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. Longstanding emissions and maintenance issues led to Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to issue more than $276,000 in fines against Braddock-based Magnus Products. Little bit of background: Magnus Products owns and operates a facility that receives by-products from U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility, including furnace flue dust, slag and sludge, mill scale, and coke fines and forms the moist mix into briquettes.  Those finished briquettes are piled onsite with a radial stacker and then loaded onto railcars and sent back to Edgar Thomson to be used in the blast furnaces.  Emissions from the rotary kiln - the piece of equipment at the center of the enforcement action - are controlled by a cyclone and a fabric filter. Got it? Good - now let’s get back to that enforcement order, issued by ACHD on Nov. 10, 2025, but only recently uploaded to the department’s docket. In addition to missing deadlines associated with the submission of required annual and semi-annual reports, ACHD said the company exceeded myriad emissions limits - some by more than 1,900 percent.  The enforcement order also alleges that Magnus failed to consistently operate its cement silo bin filter with good air pollution control practice resulting in excess emissions.  “Magnus operated the rotary kiln without a complaint stack test in violation of permitted limits resulting in excess emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter for 22 months,” the document reads. Here's an excerpt: ACHD representatives observed multiple chains with no chain guards.  ACHD representatives observed excessive amounts of cement accumulation on the top of the cement silo bin filter. ACHD representatives also observed cement accumulation on the cement silo hand railings, cement silo walkway, and the wall of the adjacent building (see Appendix A).  ACHD representatives requested that Magnus representatives open the cement silo bin filter door so ACHD could inspect the individual bags in the cement silo bin filter. Magnus representatives could not initially open the door because cement had accumulated around the door and door frame. Magnus utilized tools to remove cement accumulation to open the door for inspection. During the inspection, ACHD representatives found a bag was defective, and a Magnus maintenance worker confirmed the bag was defective.   ACHD representatives then requested to review the Magnus cement silo inspection records. ACHD representatives reviewed the cement silo inspection records for March 2025, through April 9, 2025. Inspection records indicated "ok" for each inspection. ACHD representatives informed Magnus that, due to the identification of a defective bag in the cement -6- silo bin filter and amount of cement deposition in the area, it was ACHD's belief that the cement silo was not inspected with any routine frequency and the records indicating compliance were  not valid.   You can read the entire enforcement order here. Meanwhile, court documents reveal that U.S. Steel ended its relationship with Magnus in October 2025 and filed suit against the company two months later, accusing it of breach of contract.

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. New documents uploaded this week to the Allegheny County Health Department’s website show that U.S. Steel was issued more than $359,000 in stipulated penalties for air quality violations that occurred at its Clairton Coke Works facility. The demands - issued  Oct. 17, 2025   and Dec. 18, 2025  - called for U.S. Steel to pay $271,775 and $85,775, respectively, and cover violations made in the first and second quarters of 2024 (yes, the violations are from 2024 - and yes, they are the latest such penalties). The documents show that the lion share of the penalties were for pushing and charging violations. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time U.S. Steel has been tagged for pushing violations, specifically: ACHD in 2024 issued $2 million in penalties against the company for hundreds of uncontrolled pushes.  That issue - like so many others related to U.S. Steel enforcement actions - is still winding its way through the appeals process. GASP continues to follow enforcement issues closely and will keep you updated as more information is posted to ACHD’s enforcement docket. A donation can help sustain it!

At GASP, we’ve long believed our strength lies in the people who help us fight for cleaner air in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, we are absolutely THRILLED to introduce two incredible new additions to our Board of Directors: Dr. Rachel Wojcik  and Dr. Nesta Bortey-Sam . Additionally, two board members – Kate St. John and Marla Ferency – were re-elected. “Both Rachel and Nesta bring a wealth of scientific and medical expertise that will be invaluable as we continue to push for better air quality and public health protections in our region,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. GASP President Jonathan Nadle agrees Rachel and Nesta are great additions to the board, adding, “They also are really nice people.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know them and we look forward to having a long, productive relationship.”   Meet Nesta Bortey-Sam Nesta is a powerhouse in the world of toxicology and public health. He serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. His work is all about the how and why —specifically, how environmental exposures lead to disease.  Nesta is part of a team studying how indoor and outdoor pollutants affect asthma severity right here in Allegheny County. He’s using advanced techniques to track pollutants back to their sources, helping us understand exactly what is in our air. Another major focus of his research involves prenatal exposure to toxins and how they affect birth outcomes and long-term health. Meet Rachel Wojcik If there’s anyone who understands the direct impact of air quality on our lungs, it’s a pulmonary specialist. Rachel is a physician and clinician-educator specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine. After completing medical school at the University of Colorado, she moved to Pittsburgh for her residency and fellowship training—and we are so glad she stayed! She is passionate about bridging the gap between clinical medicine and environmental advocacy. Her goal is to bring vital education regarding air pollution and climate change to fellow physicians and the local community. “As southwestern Pennsylvania continues to face unique air quality challenges, having a board that combines medical frontline experience with cutting-edge toxicological research ensures that GASP remains a leader in science-based advocacy,” Campbell added. Please join us in giving Rachel and Nesta a big, warm welcome to the team. We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make.

GASP on Wednesday attended the Allegheny County Board of Health meeting to ask members to use their authority to push the Allegheny County Executive's office to update the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee. Here's what our Executive Director Patrick Campbell said: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, Executive Director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthy air quality since 1969. I appreciate the chance to speak with you today because we share a common goal: ensuring strong and effective oversight of air quality in Allegheny County. Right now, the Air Advisory Committee is in a difficult position. Every member is serving on an expired term, and the committee has not met since late last year. This uncertainty has limited its ability to function as intended— as a vital link bridging technical expertise, community voices, and policy. Over the past year, the committee often lacked a quorum and struggled to advance recommendations. While we understand the need for diverse representation—including public health experts, industry, and impacted communities—the current roster appears weighted toward industry, which raises concerns about balance and credibility. GASP respectfully urges the Board of Health to use its authority to encourage the County Executive’s office to prioritize these appointments and restore the committee’s effectiveness. We believe this is an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and ensure the advisory process reflects the broad interests of our community. Please know that GASP stands ready to assist in any way—whether through outreach, technical input, or supporting recruitment efforts. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting public health. Stay tuned! We continue to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this month published a final rule that revises the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines.    Such turbines are ubiquitous, including in southwestern Pennsylvania.    They generate electricity at power plants (and, increasingly, data centers) and drive heavy mechanical equipment at industrial facilities (including natural gas compressor stations).   The NSPS are emission standards for new, modified, and reconstructed sources that apply nationwide and ensure that the pollution controls on such sources are (more or less) up to date when they are installed.    Emission rates established by an NSPS are to be based on the use of the “best system of emission reduction” (BSER, remember that acronym!) as determined by EPA.    The revisions to the NSPS for natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines that were published last week are codified as Subpart KKKKa; they revise Subpart KKKK, which had been in effect since 2006.   Subpart KKKKa garnered an unusual amount of press coverage for an NSPS revision, even before it was published in final form. Why, you wonder? Because when EPA promulgated Subpart KKKKa it stated that it would not attempt to monetize any claimed health benefits from the reductions in emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ), fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) that will result from the revised standards as part of the impact analysis that it performed for the revisions.    EPA failure to do so in this instance appeared to be a break from long-standing practice that endangers the health protections provided by the Clean Air Act.    You can read about the issue in the New York Times , on NPR , and in the Associated Press .  On the other hand, EPA claimed that its decision not to include health benefits in its impact analysis is justified because estimates of such benefits are too speculative to serve as a basis for rulemaking under the Act.    It bears mention that a 1973 decision by a federal Court of Appeals  established that EPA is not  required to perform a cost-benefit analysis when it promulgates or revises an NSPS.   What caught our interest about the articles covering Subpart KKKKa were their suggestions and claims that Subpart KKKKa’s revisions weakened emission standards for natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines.    It is rare for a revised NSPS to weaken emission standards.   And what we learned was that those suggestions and claims were – mostly – not true.   In fact, for most categories of natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines Subpart KKKKa either retains existing NO X  emission limits or decreases them.  Notably, in establishing Subpart KKKKa’s emission limits, EPA determined that BSER for new, large, high-utilization turbines required the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR); forcing the operators of turbines to install and operate SCR has been a longstanding goal of environmentalists .    However, EPA rejected the notion that SCR was BSER for all other  categories of turbines, based on either technical infeasibility (SCR often cannot be added on to modified turbines and is not as effective for turbines that do not operate in a steady state) or high cost per ton of NO X  emissions that SCR would be able to remove.    For those other categories, EPA determined that BSER is combustion controls, based on NO X  emission rates guaranteed by the manufacturers of new turbines or the manufacturers of commercially available add-on combustion controls (for modified turbines).    And so, what’s the result? This chart compares allowable NO X  emission limits under the old Subpart KKKK and new Subpart KKKKa and shows how NO X emission limits for some categories of turbine decrease under Subpart KKKKa.   These decreases are notwithstanding EPA’s failures to credit the health benefits from projected emissions reductions under the revised rule and to require more than one category of turbine to use SCR: Subpart KKKK NO X  Emission Limit for Categories of Natural Gas-Fired Turbines (expressed in parts per million) Subpart KKKKa NO X  Emission Limit for Categories of Natural-Gas Fired Turbines(expressed in parts per million) New/Large…………………………………15 New/Large/High Utilization………………..5 New/Large/Low Utilization/High Efficiency…………………………………25 New/Large/Low Utilization/Low Efficiency…………………………………..9 New/Medium………………………………25 New/Medium/High Utilization…………...15 New/Medium/Low Utilization……………25 New/Small/Electric Generating……………42 New/Small………………………………...25 New/Small/Mechanical Drive…….………100 Modified/Large…………………………….15 Modified/Large/High Efficiency……….25 Modified/Large/Low Efficiency………….15 Modified/Medium………………………….42 Modified/Medium……………………...…42 Modified/Small……………………………150 Modified/Small………………………….150   The new, higher limits on NO X  emissions from new and modified large high-efficiency turbines allowed under Subpart KKKKa and in boldface above are based on EPA’s finding that the “only commercially available combustion controls” for such turbines are guaranteed at 25 parts per million NO X by their manufacturers.    “How much credence does that finding deserve?” asked GASP’s Senior Attorney, John Baillie, “Not much.”   Baillie noted that in  2005, when Subpart KKKK was still a proposed rule , EPA wrote:   Many manufacturers guarantee NO X  emissions of 15 ppm … for large natural gas-fired turbines, and a few even guarantee NO X  levels at or below 9 ppm….  In addition, we have gathered a number of source tests which confirm that these turbines can achieve these levels without the use of add-on controls. Therefore, this emission limit may be achieved by most large natural gas combustion turbines without the use of add-on controls. Stay tuned, there is a good chance all this ends up in court and if so, we’ll report on that. Also, we intend to determine just when EPA started quantifying projected health impacts from the emission reductions resulting from new regulations and write about it.

As we continue to advocate for a cleaner, safer Mon Valley, the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is keeping a close eye on the fallout from the deadly August 2025 explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works . In case you missed it, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) published an interim report following that issued interim safety recommendations to the company. You can read the entire document here  (and we totally recommend that you do). For those who’d prefer the Clif’s Notes, here’s a breakdown of what the investigators found and why it matters for our community. The CSB’s findings are…sobering. The explosion happened when coke oven gas leaked and ignited in a transfer area. The board found that the buildings where workers were stationed—including control rooms and break rooms—were simply not designed to protect people from such a blast.   The CSB has issued two main interim fixes: What’s most frustrating for those of us following U.S. Steel’s safety record is that these aren't necessarily new ideas. The CSB pointed out that industry-standard safety practices for what’s known as facility siting—essentially making sure workers aren't sitting ducks in a blast zone—have existed for YEARS. In fact, the document notes that some of these specific safety recommendations were, in fact, suggested in the past. Despite those warnings, U.S. Steel management didn't enact those recommended changes. Here are the receipts: Now, in the wake of a tragedy, the company has already started rebuilding gas piping in almost the exact same location and layout as before. They are also moving control rooms only about 100 feet away—a move the CSB says might not actually be safe without a real evaluation. At GASP, we know that worker safety and environmental safety go hand-in-hand. These incidents often lead to massive releases of pollutants and emergency flaring that bypasses pollution controls. We’re glad to see the CSB stepping in, but it shouldn't take a fatal explosion to get a company to follow basic safety protocols that have been on the books for years. Editor’s Note: GASP continues to follow this issue closely. We’ll keep you updated as the final report is released.

Yinz smell that?! That tell-tale stench of rotten eggs? You’re not smelling things: Concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (or H2S for short) are sky-high in and around the Mon Valley today. And you’re not alone in your suffering - social media and Carnegie Mellon University’s Smell Pittsburgh app lit up with complaints starting overnight Monday and continuing into the afternoon Tuesday: For the uninitiated: H2S is a toxic gas that occurs both naturally (from sources such as swamps, manure pits, and oil, gas, and water wells) and as a result of industrial activity (including, most notably for our region, coke making). According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , H2S is a colorless gas recognizable by its rotten-egg odor. Exposure to the levels of hydrogen sulfide we see in the Mon Valley can cause: irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat headaches poor memory tiredness breathing problems for some people with asthma balance problems Just how elevated were levels of the foul-smelling pollutant? The short answer: They were high enough to exceed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour average standard, marking the first exceedances of the new year. But those exceedances don’t tell the whole story on today’s H2S event. There were also  crazy-high H2S spikes at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitors in both Liberty and North Braddock. For reference: Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average standard for H2S is 5 parts per billion. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the 24-hour average for H2S at the Liberty monitor was more than twice that. Here’s a look at those spikes: You might be asking yourself at this point, “But where does the stuff come from?” Fortunately, several studies have placed the blame squarely on U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility. You can read more about all that here . So, what can you do about it? Two words: Report it. Make a complaint to the Allegheny County Health Department, which is tasked with enforcing DEP’s H2S standard. We also implore you to report poor air quality on the Smell Pittsburgh app. GASP is following this issue closely and has - and will continue - to demand ACHD do more to stem stench in the Mon Valley through more robust enforcement. “This issue has been ongoing for decades. Knowing the source is awesome, but it’s not enough. More must be done to reel in these episodes of hours-long stench that residents say impact everything from their sleep to their breathing to their quality of life,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “There were just as many H2S exceedances in 2025 as there were in 2024. So, we’re NOT making progress on this issue, just holding the line at best.”

A view of the new and improved EJ Mapping tool. Here’s some good news YEARS in the making, friends: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released the final Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy - one that is expected to improve environmental safeguards in the Keystone State by enhancing opportunities for public participation and emphasizing proactive community engagement across. The document, which was last updated 20 years ago (!!!) will be used to guide DEP protections for communities most vulnerable to environmental challenges. The news was announced Monday in a press release issued by Gov. Josh Shapiro.  Here’s an excerpt: The updated EJ policy directs how DEP's inspection, compliance, and enforcement efforts can better include criteria and concerns of Pennsylvania communities most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts. Furthermore, the policy outlines the ways in which DEP plans to increase outreach across Pennsylvania and build long-lasting relationships with communities impacted by environmental challenges. In 2023, DEP announced an interim final policy and collected feedback from communities throughout Pennsylvania. During the extensive comment period, DEP received over 700 comments - GASP’s included. You can get all that background info right here. “It's exciting to see DEP taking this much-needed step. Communities in Pennsylvania's EJ areas carry so much of the burden of environmental hazards, and I am optimistic that these improvements are a step towards changing that,” GASP Environmental Health Manager Rachel Macias said. “Meaningful progress comes from centering community voices in every stage of decision-making to truly achieve equitable outcomes that improve all aspects of health and wellbeing.” Basically, the updated policy will: continue to place a large emphasis on public participation and proactive conversations among DEP’s EJ staff that have been engaging with communities in designated environmental justice areas, based on 32 environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators.  help those seeking a permit to better understand community concerns.  allow DEP to be more efficient when receiving public comment, improving permitting processes But wait, there’s more: DEP has also updated PennEnviroScreen , a state-of-the-art mapping tool used to identify EJ areas across Pennsylvania, using the most updated data available and the 2020 Census geographical boundaries. The updated version is more user-friendly and includes clearer visual outlines and short data descriptions. We encourage folks to check it out!

As the calendar year draws to a close, Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) wants to take a moment to send a huge, heartfelt thank you  to our incredible community of supporters. Because of your passion, dedication, and generous support, we’ve achieved some real breakthroughs this year in the fight for cleaner air and a healthier environment for all. We’ve rallied, we’ve educated, and we’ve stood up to protect our community.  We are so close to the end of the year, and as we look ahead to 2026, we’re setting ambitious goals to tackle new challenges and safeguard the progress we’ve made. To ensure we can hit the ground running on Jan. 1, we need your help. Dec. 31 is the final day  to make a tax-deductible donation  for the 2025 tax year. A gift of any size made before midnight will go directly toward funding our educational, outreach, and ongoing advocacy work in the new year. Want to give an extra boost to your commitment to clean air? Check if your employer offers a matching gift program! Many companies are happy to match their employees' charitable contributions, sometimes doubling or even tripling the impact of your donation—at no extra cost to you!  It's an easy step that can make your tax-deductible gift go significantly further for GASP. Just ask your HR or community relations department for the simple form, and you can truly maximize your support. Whether you’re a long-time member, a new donor, or someone sharing our social media posts, thank you for being a vital part of the GASP family. We wish you a safe and healthy holiday season!

GASP’s origin story prominently features strong women - mothers and matriarchs who organized in their living rooms, inviting their friends and neighbors into their homes to advocate for policies and protections to clean up our air. In its infancy (note: our inception was all the way back in 1969), GASP was truly a grassroots endeavor: We had no foundation support or grant funding to help fill our coffers.  So how did we raise money? Glad you asked: They sold cookbooks.  And to celebrate the holiday season, one of our staffers decided to take it upon herself to recreate one of the most iconic of them: The Fun Bun Dirty Gertie. Was it delicious? Of course it was! In fact, it was so tasty that we wanted to share the recipe with yinz: Then we thought, “Wonder how many bakers we have in our ranks - people who might want a vintage GASP Fun Buns cookbook of their very own?”  Because we found a cache of them during an office cleanout, and while supplies last, we wanna send them to folks who make a charitable donation of any size. Email us at kathy@gasp-pgh.org  to secure your piece of GASP history!