For those who are unfamiliar with the term, energy vampires (otherwise known as vampire draws or phantom loads) are appliances and other plugged-in devices that use electricity when they are plugged in but not in use. The U.S. Department of Energy also defines them as products that need standby power to run—things like clocks, cable boxes, and coffeemakers. The result? The department estimates that these energy suckers could tack on as much as 10 percent to your monthly electricity bill. So how do you slay the energy vampires in your home and life? Here are 5 easy ways: If you can, unplug.  Sure, this might not be a workable strategy for things like clocks, which need 24-7 power, but for devices that you don’t switch on often, it could be a big energy saver. That television in your basement rec room, your laptop computer sitting on your upstairs desk, and your cell phone charger on the kitchen counter should all make your shortlist to unplug when not actively using. Consider this: Cell phone chargers left plugged in after disconnecting your home use .26 watts of energy and 2.24 watts when your phone is 100 percent charged but still connected. Remember that power strips = better control. When you plug-in devices that don’t need 24-7 energy into a power strip, it makes it that much easier to turn them off when not in use. Just say no to idle time. Instead of setting your computer to sleep mode, or pausing a video game console for long periods, shut ‘em down instead. Time for a new appliance? Then think ENERGY STAR. When it’s time to retire your old washing machines, dishwashers, or other appliances, consider replacing them with ENERGY STAR devices, which use less energy generally. Know them for what they are and stay vigilant. There’s probably an energy vampire in nearly every room of your house. While coffeemakers are one of the more well-known passive energy users, many don’t realize that their microwave is also an offender. Believe it or not, your microwave will likely use more electricity on vampire draw than on warming your food and drinks in its lifetime. While the cable box is guilty of being an energy vampire, don’t forget about culprits like video game consoles and DVD players. When it comes to the bedroom, be aware of devices like space heaters or window AC units, in addition to the usual suspects: your cell phone and laptop chargers. Then there’s your bathroom, where you find the hairdryers, straighteners, and electric razors. Happy energy vampire slaying! #energyvampire #vampireenergy #GASP #vampiredraw #energyefficiency

By way of an Opinion and Order issued Thursday, the Environmental Hearing Board essentially ended the Department of Environmental Protection’s bid to appeal the Board’s Aug. 28 granting of supersedeas to Erie Coke. The supersedeas decision allowed Erie Coke to continue operations at its facility – subject to certain restrictions – pending the outcome of its appeal of DEP’s denial of the company’s air quality operating permit renewal application. The decision issued yesterday all but assures that Erie Coke’s fate now hangs on the outcome of the February 2020 hearings in the appeal case. Specifically, the Environmental Hearing Board denied the Department of Environmental Protection’s motion requesting the Board amend its Supersedeas Opinion and Order regarding Erie Coke to certify two questions for immediate appeal to the Commonwealth Court. Judge Steven C. Beckman wrote that “[c]ertifying the two questions will not materially advance the ultimate termination of Erie Coke’s appeal of the Department’s denial of its Title V Permit renewal application and neither of the two questions involves a controlling question of law.” While GASP respects the Board’s position that “these types of appeals are not favored by the law,” we remain very concerned about the potential adverse health impacts to Erie residents while the supersedeas is in place. GASP strongly believes neither Erie Coke’s evidence nor the Board’s Aug. 28 Opinion and Order gave local residents any solid assurances that they would be free from harm while the appeals process plays out. You can read the entire order here. Meanwhile, DEP this week published three new notice of violation letters against Erie Coke Corp. The NOVs were dated Sept. 4, Sept. 20 and Sept. 25. The Sept. 4 and Sept. 25 NOVs stemmed from incidents on Aug. 29 and Sept. 22 during which DEP inspectors noted off take leaks greater than 5 percent, which they said was in violation of both state law and the company’s expired operating permit. The NOV dated Sept. 20 stemmed from a Sept. 11 inspection during which DEP reported pushing emissions with an opacity greater than 20 percent. DEP requested Erie Coke submit written responses to both letters “explaining what actions you will take to correct the violation and prevent future violations.” The Sept. 4 letter can be viewed here. The Sept. 25 letter can be viewed here. Editor’s Note: Here’s the media coverage so far… Judge Declines to Certify DEP Appeal in Erie Coke Case, GoErie.com #ErieCoke #noticeofviolation #StevenCBeckman #NOVs #DEP #EHB #supersedeas

On Monday, attorneys for DEP filed a Motion to Amend Interlocutory Order Granting Petition for Supersedeas “to provide that the order involves controlling questions of law as to which there is substantial ground for difference of opinion and that an immediate appeal from the order may materially advance the ultimate termination of the matter,” according to the Motion. Much of DEP’s motion revolved around whether or not continued operations at Erie Coke, which Beckman’s Aug. 28 Order made subject to 18 specific conditions, would negatively impact the health and welfare of the environment, as well as folks who live and work nearby. DEP is adamant that continued operations would present an air pollution threat to both residents and the environment. “The Board’s Opinion and Order did not make a finding regarding whether pollution or injury to the public health, safety, or welfare exists or is threatened during the period when the supersedeas will be in effect,” the DEP motion reads. Counsel for the Department argued that while a decision to issue a supersedeas is “ordinarily within the Board’s discretion” a supersedeas “may never issue where pollution or injury to public health, safety, or welfare exists or is threatened during the period when (it) would be in effect.” But that’s not the only reason the department is seeking to appeal. DEP attorneys continued: “In addition, three of the 18 conditions set forth in the opinion and order…relieve Erie Coke from operating a facility in accordance with the terms of Erie Coke’s expired Title V Permit, and the Pennsylvania air quality regulations.” According to DEP lawyers, one of the Judge’s conditions “allows more minutes of opacity violations each month than Erie Coke averaged per quarter in the eight quarters preceding its compliance problems that began in 2017.” Another condition Beckman handed down “allows more minutes of opacity violations each quarter than Erie Coke has had since 2015,” DEP attorneys wrote. DEP further argued that an immediate appeal would “advance the termination of the matter.” How? “As Erie Coke has stated throughout these proceedings, it will choose to shut down if supersedeas is denied. The present appeal will become moot and terminate. At a minimum, denial would incentivize Erie Coke to reconsider its settlement position in this matter,” DEP lawyers wrote. “If Erie Coke does not shut down, a decision on this issue will provide probative evidence regarding the ultimate issue in this appeal. The central issue in the underlying appeal is Erie Coke’s ability to comply with the law and regulations applicable to the operation of its air contamination sources at its coke production facility.” You can read the entire motion here. You can get caught up on Beckman’s Aug. 28 ruling here. Editor’s Note: Here’s some associated media coverage from YourErie.com. #DEP #ErieCoke #PetitionforSupersedeas #TitleVPermit

Photo courtesy of the HECA website. Environmental Hearing Board Judge Steven C. Beckman on Wednesday ruled Erie Coke Corp. can continue operating – subject to certain limitations – pending its appeal of DEP’s decision to deny the company’s Title V operating permit. “We recognize that allowing Erie Coke’s operations to continue, even for a limited time, extends the timeframe that people located in the area surrounding the facility will likely experience the negative impact of those operations on their lives,” the Judge wrote in his Opinion. “Those impacts are real and clearly disrupt the daily lives of individuals who testified at the hearing.” Beckman continued: “We are sympathetic to your concerns and have taken steps in this decision to address those concerns.” He added that the evidence presented at the six-day hearing suggested that Erie Coke is “finally working to address air issues at the facility.” He wrote: “It is certainly reasonable to question why it has taken so much time and effort by the Department to get Erie Coke’s full attention on these issues. Even with that full attention, it is by no means certain that Erie Coke will be able to meet its obligations under the environmental regulations.” He continued: “If Erie Coke cannot convince the Board that the Department was wrong about its lack of intention and ability to comply with those requirements, it is difficult to imagine Erie Coke prevailing at the full hearing. We will have to see what the fully developed evidence presented at that hearing will demonstrate to the Board, but ultimately, we think that it is only fair to allow Erie Coke the opportunity to present its case.” Judge Beckman’s Order detailed 18 total provisions Erie Coke must meet in order to continue operating during the appeal. Many addressed specific operations at the facility but one of note called for Erie Coke to deposit $1 million into a newly created bank account designated for capital improvement projects that would be subject to review by the DEP. And what happens if Erie Coke fails to comply? According to the Order, DEP may petition the EHB to lift the supersedeas, “if (DEP) concludes that Erie Coke is out of compliance with any of the conditions set forth in this Order.” Beckman also noted there is “nothing in this Opinion or Order that restricts the (DEP) from continuing its inspections and taking appropriate enforcement action if it finds that Erie Coke has committed additional violations.” These restrictions notwithstanding, the Opinion and Order failed to provide an explanation as to how the “18 conditions” Erie Coke must now follow would protect public health. Indeed, Erie residents might not find great comfort in steps that “hopefully will minimize the environmental impacts” during further operations at the facility and that are “intended to limit the impact of Erie Coke’s operations during the time necessary to conduct a full hearing on the Department’s denial of Erie Coke’s Title V permit renewal application.” (italics added) GASP was disappointed with the outcome of the proceedings to date but the case is far from over. As Judge Beckman noted, “a Board ruling on a petition for supersedeas is a limited decision that addresses the status of the Department’s action during the time interval between the filing of the appeal and the full Board’s final ruling on the merits of the appeal. It is not, nor is it intended to be, the final word on the legality of the Department’s action.” “Erie Coke ‘won’ this round but it is under a microscope now,” said GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy. “The community and DEP both are watching Erie Coke like a hawk and you can bet Judge Beckman will hear about any hiccup from that facility in February, if not sooner.” The Order set a Feb. 3, 2020 date for an evidential hearing on Erie Coke’s appeal. That hearing will be held at 10 a.m. at the EHB’s Erie facility. “No requests for extensions of the hearing date will be granted by the Board,” the Order reads. Editor’s Note: Here’s associated media coverage: “The Complete Erie Coke Decision,” YourErie.com “Judge Allows Erie Coke to Continue Operating with Conditions,” Erie News Now “Judge: Erie Coke Can Stay Open with Conditions,” GoErie.com The order and opinion can be viewed here. #ErieCoke #JudgeBeckman #JudgeStevenCBeckman #DEP #PetitionforSupersedeas #EnvironmentalHearingBoard

GASP was on hand Wednesday morning to support our friends at PennEnvironment and a group of 63 elected officials from across Allegheny County calling for cleaning up the region’s air quality and cracking down on industrial polluters. In a letter released by PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, the officials called for stricter, health-based emissions limits and stronger penalties for illegal pollution. “Allegheny County is a great place to live, but air pollution is threatening residents’ health,” wrote the elected officials. “We can fix this problem by setting strict, health-based emissions limits on polluters; making sure they face meaningful penalties if and when they break the law, and ensuring our region has strong clean air champions who fight for residents. We, the undersigned local elected officials from across Allegheny County, are committing to make Allegheny County a great place to live and breathe.” Zachary Barber, a field organizer with Penn Environment, said the fact that so many local elected officials are coming together to speak this message with a single voice should send a clear message: cleaning up our air quality is a top priority for our region and Pittsburghers are ready to put our days as ‘The Smokey City’ behind them. “Maybe once there was a time where air pollution was just the cost of progress, but today, in 2019, there is no reason why anyone should be forced to breathe dirty air that jeopardizes their health,” he said. Pressure has ramped up to crack down on industrial polluters in 2019. Following U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works running without critical pollution controls for four months this year, the PA House and Senate Democratic Policy Committees held hearings looking into air pollution from the plant and state Rep. Austin Davis introduced legislation that would increase the maximum fine for illegal air pollution and require public reporting. Both Pittsburgh City Council and Allegheny County Council have passed unanimous declarations of support for stronger enforcement efforts against U.S. Steel. “People for too long have been left in the dark when it comes to air quality,” Davis, D-35th District, said at the press conference. He called his district “ground zero” for air pollution – and vowed to continue fighting for clean air protections during his time at the Capitol. Davis also gave an update on his recent legislation. “I strongly believe that all elected officials have an obligation to fight for a healthy environment, “ said Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor. “When City Council unanimously passed my Will of Council to support Allegheny County’s Health Department ‘s actions to prevent air pollution, we sent a message to our constituents that they are not on their own in the fight for safe and clean air.” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini lauded PennEnvironment for its efforts to bring together local officials for this increasingly important issue. “Thank you, PennEnvironment, for being a leader in the ongoing fight for clean air for all,” she said. “One of the ways to help solve big, complex issues is to bring people together—to provide a unified front. And with an army of more than 60 local elected officials, our shared battle for improved air quality will be more easily won.” #ZacharyBarber #airpollution #RachelFilippini #emissions #AustinDavis #PennEnvironment #airquality

Girl covers nose with hand showing that something stinks isolated on gray background Sad but true: Waking up in the middle of the night to the odor of rotten eggs isn’t that uncommon in Allegheny County—especially downwind of the Mon Valley. For those who aren’t aware: That tell-tale rotten egg smell is characteristic of malodorous hydrogen sulfide (more commonly referred to as H2S) and is perceptible by most people event at very low concentrations. The H2S odor is so unpleasant and common that Allegheny County has required an ambient limit of .005 parts per million (ppm) averaged over 24 hours. Unfortunately, the standard has been repeatedly violated at the air pollution monitor in Liberty (located in the Mon Valley). Here’s a breakdown of the number of violations of the .005 ppm standard by year: 2018: 35 2017: 59 2016: 41 2015: 87 2014: 49 2013: 28 2012: 65 Please add your voice to the hundreds of Allegheny County residents who’ve said “enough is enough” and sign our petition today.GASP thinks we deserve better, and that the folks charged with ensuring compliance—the Allegheny County Health Department—can and should do better. That’s why we’re collecting signatures for our petition calling on ACHD to do what it takes to achieve the H2S standard. Here’s how. #H2S #rottenegg #airpollution #hydrogensulfide #petition #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD

Photos courtesy of Rep. Summer Lee’s office. Residents packed the Forest Hills Municipal Building on Tuesday to take part in an environmental forum there hosted by state Rep. Summer Lee—and GASP was honored to be among those asked to present. The event kicked off with an update from Lee, D-34th Legislative District, who provided an update on legislation regarding environmental issues, and was followed by presentations from several panelists. GASP’s executive director Rachel Filippini provided information about air quality, educating those in attendance about everything from what’s in the air, to how to make a complaint about poor air quality. Other panelists included Patricia DeMarco, of Forest Hills Borough Council and professor of biology and environmental studies; Jonathan Reyes, of North Braddock Resident for Our Future; Megan McDonough, of Food and Water Watch; and Dr. Deborah Gentile, researcher and esteemed expert on pediatric asthma. Folks who attended were also given the opportunity to ask questions and share their opinions on environmental issues ranging from fracking to air pollution. GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini lauded Lee and those who attended. “It’s refreshing to see legislators taking the lead on environmental issues of paramount importance to not only their constituents but people across Allegheny County. We thank Rep. Summer Lee for being a needed voice for our community,” Filippini said. “Equally refreshing was the robust turnout. Residents who are informed and engaged are a key ingredient to changing our area’s lackluster performance when it comes to air quality.” #PatriciaDeMarco #airpollution #SummerLee #DrDeborahGentile #RachelFilippini #ForestHillsMunicipalBuilding #airquality

Allegheny County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion of council that endorses recent enforcement actions undertaken by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) intended to foster compliance with existing air quality regulations for the good of public health—especially as it relates to U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works. The motion, introduced by Councilwoman Anita Prizio, “makes explicitly clear its backing of the Allegheny County Health Department’s health-based air quality regulatory actions that aim to bring U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant and Clairton Coke Works facilities into compliance for the good of public health, as well as its mandate to oversee the reduction or outright elimination of risks to air quality.” By approving the motion, council “commits itself to supporting its residents in their fight for cleaner, healthier, and more breathable air,” the document reads. The motion of council comes in the wake of two high-profile fires at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, both of which knocked out essential pollution-control devices. It also comes as the public awaits the finalization of a settlement agreement between U.S. Steel and ACHD addressing three enforcement orders and an administrative order from 2018-19. The proposed agreement, which was the subject of a public hearing that garnered numerous comments, calls for U.S. Steel to pay a $2.7 million fine—with 90 percent of that money benefiting a community trust. It also calls for numerous facility upgrades designed to help bring and keep the facilities into compliance with air emissions standards. By approving the measure, council echoed concerns made by not only residents and environmental organizations but also Pittsburgh City Council, which in July passed a similar will of council. GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy spoke at the meeting, where he asked members of council to support the motion. “This council exercises immense control over the Air Quality Program by approving the Health Department’s budget, as well as all changes made to the Air Quality Program’s regulations. I believe from the outset, it is imperative that Council understands it has the power and duty to help protect the air quality that 1.2 million residents of Allegheny County breathe…and we need your help,” he said. Mulcahy continued: “As the motion notes, Allegheny County residents are subjected to air that the American Lung Association gives failing grades across the board. Throughout the County, fine particulate matter exceeds the EPA-limit and a significant portion of the Mon Valley fails to meet EPA’s standard for sulfur dioxide levels. This is a black eye for a region as well as a legitimate public health crisis.” Following the vote, Prizio noted why she introduced the motion. “After watching how U.S. Steel has engaged in prolonged legal battles with the Allegheny County Health Department, I fear other polluters may venture down a similar path of aggressively appealing robust enforcement actions and then eventually settling,” Prizio said. “When these things happen, the region’s air quality and all who breath our air suffer. ACHD must not shirk its responsibility of enforcing clean air laws and holding the industrial polluters—which often put profit over people—accountable to their workers and to their communities.” Jay Walker, a field organizer with Clean Air Council, also spoke in favor of the motion, imploring council to “do whatever they need to do” to bring industrial polluters into compliance with clean air regulations. Rachel Filippini, executive director for the Group Against Smog and Pollution, thanked Prizio and members of council who supported the motion. “We applaud Allegheny County Council and Councilwoman Prizio for adding their voices to the chorus of people who are demanding accountability in the wake of not just months, but years of U.S. Steel being noncompliant with air pollution regulations,” Filippini said. “Pittsburgh’s come a long way from the days when smog choked our city skyline, but we still have so much work to do. GASP is hopeful that with partners like Ms. Prizio and her colleagues on council, we are moving even more quickly in the right direction.” The motion also received support from environmental organizations not in attendance Tuesday, including PennEnvironment. “Today’s motion from Allegheny County Council sends a clear message to illegal polluters: protect public health or expect real consequences,” said Zachary Barber, Field Organizer, with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “Since we’ve already seen pushback from polluters over stronger enforcement efforts from the Health Department, it’s great that Councilwoman Prizio and other members of council are supporting clean air efforts.” #AnitaPrizio #cleanairlaws #JayWalker #airpollution #NedMulcahy #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #EdgarThomsonPlant #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Environmental Hearing Board Judge Steven C. Beckman filed an order on Monday denying Erie Coke Corp.’s petition to reopen the record to include additional evidence in the case that the Company did not bring up at the hearing. The order also grants the Department of Environmental Protection’s request to strike references to that evidence in Erie Coke’s post-hearing brief. The order can be viewed here. For more information on the EHB proceedings regarding whether or not Erie Coke Corp. will be permitted to operate while it appeals DEP’s denial of its Title V permit is now in the hands of an Environmental Hearing Board judge. Read more about that here. #ErieCoke #TitleV #TitleVPermit #DEP #EnvironmentalHearingBoard

Erie coke On the day Erie Coke Corp. and DEP were due to file their post-hearing briefs with the Environmental Hearing Board over whether or not the company should be permitted to continue operating during the appeal of its Title V operating permit denial, lawyers for the corporation also filed a petition to reopen the record so that two new reports can be considered. Erie Coke petitioned the EHB on Wednesday to accept for consideration additional evidence that “did not exist at the time of the July 10-18, 2019 hearing, because it was only generated after the hearing concluded.” Specifically, Erie Coke is asking that the EHB add a report showing opacity of its combustion stack for the month of July and an engineering assessment of the coke oven battery air shed (a hood that collects emissions when coke is pushed out of the ovens). Erie Coke insists the evidence “is highly material to Erie Coke’s petition for supersedeas (and) demonstrates Erie Coke’s positive compliance trajectory.” On Friday, the Department of Environmental Protection filed its response, asking the Board to deny the company’s request to introduce new evidence “at the 11th hour.” In doing so, DEP attorneys noted “Erie Coke does not explain why it waited until 4:00 pm on August 7, 2019, the day post-hearing briefs were due to be filed.” This last-minute submission appears all the more dubious given that “(t)he July 2019 COMS Report is generated at the Erie Coke Facility and ends July 31, 2019. The Coke Side Shed Evaluation was complete on July 31, 2019. Obviously, these reports were available to Erie Coke before the very day the briefs were due.” Attorneys for DEP laid out additional arguments for why Erie Coke’s petition should be denied. Among their concerns was that DEP did not have the opportunity to cross-examine any witnesses on the evidence presented prior to the company using the evidence in its post-hearing brief. “An Erie Coke representative should be subject to cross-examination on why (the company) believes the July 2019 COMS Report is significant before Erie Coke presents it to the board in argument,” attorneys for DEP wrote. “Similarly, the professional engineer that sealed the Coke-Side Shed Evaluation should be subject to cross-examination on his conclusions. Because the briefs are now filed with this evidence included, the department is prejudiced by reopening the record at this time.” GASP is reviewing the post-hearing briefs e-filed Wednesday evening by both DEP and Erie Coke Corp. In the meantime, you can view DEP’s 67-page filing here. Erie Coke’s 46-page filing can be viewed here. Editor’s Note: You can read Erie Coke’s Petition to Reopen the Record here. The referenced combustion stack report can be viewed here, and the engineering assessment document is here. #ErieCokeCorp #ovenbatteryairshed #petitiontoreopenrecord #DEP #PetitionforSupersedeas #EnvironmentalHearingBoard #EHB #airquality