The now-shuttered Erie Coke Corp. and one of its corporate officers have been indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of the Clean Air Act and conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act the Justice Department announced Thursday. The eight-count indictment, returned on Tuesday and unsealed today, named Erie Coke Corp., now permanently out of operation, and Anthony Nearhoof, 41, of Pittsburgh, as the defendants. Nearhoff was arrested Wednesdays by special agents, according to legal documents. According to the indictment, Erie Coke Corp. and Nearhoof tampered with measurements on heating systems that emitted contaminants and pollutants into the air including volatile gasses such as benzene, toluene, and xylene from October 2015 through December 2019. The indictment alleged Nearhoof was an operator and “responsible corporate officer” at the plant when hazardous air pollutants were being released and directed other plant supervisors and foremen to vent combustion gasses directly into the air to avoid the plant’s environmental monitoring system. “Nearhoof directed, instructed and pressured employees…to open coke oven flues to vent emissions in a manner that bypasses the Continuous Opacity Monitor,” the indictment reads. “Such directives occurred via personal directives, by radio to workers on the batteries, and sometimes in writing in a log book used by battery foremen to convey information from shift to shift.” The Justice Department said the indictment demonstrates its “ongoing commitment to securing environmental justice” by holding Erie Coke Corporation and its management responsible for violations of laws meant to protect the environment and the community. “It is important to protect our community from environmental health hazards and to ensure equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work,” U.S. Attorney Chung said in a statement. Jennifer Lynn, the special agent in charge for the Mid-Central Area Branch, agreed. “Today’s indictment holds Erie Coke Corporation and its management responsible for covering up and lying to federal regulators and the public about their discharges,” she said. “Through thorough investigative efforts by EPA and its state partner, we were able to uncover the fraudulent scheme.” GASP supported the community group Hold Erie Coke Accountable in its work to end Erie Coke’s noxious odors and billowing plumes emanating from the plant perched on Lake Erie’s shore. You can read about that work here.

GASP on Nov. 15 sent a Beaver County landfill operator a notice of intent to sue under the Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act. The notice is based on the landfill’s continued failure to submit a timely application for a Title V operating permit as required by the Clean Air Act. “We are determined to bring the Brunner Landfill in New Sewickley Township into compliance with the Clean Air Act’s Title V Operating Permit requirement,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Both the Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act authorize citizen suits to abate continuing violations of the air pollution control laws, including permitting requirements.” Title V operating permits are important because when issued, they must include all emission limits and operating restrictions to which the source is subject. Such permits make it easier to determine whether or not the source is complying with those limits and restrictions. The Brunner Landfill has been in operation for nearly 35 years but first applied for a Title V Operating Permit in 2013, according to state Department of Environmental Protection records. However, during the 25 years between 1988 (when the landfill began operating) and 2013, the landfill did apply for - and was issued - plan approvals for pollution control devices including a flare that destroys landfill gas and a leachate evaporation system that reduces amounts of hazardous solid and liquid wastes. Then in 2015 - before DEP acted on the landfill’s initial application for a Title V Operating Permit - the landfill replaced its then-existing landfill gas flare and leachate evaporation system without getting prior authorization from DEP, something prohibited by Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act. “The unauthorized replacement of those flare and leachate evaporation systems rendered the landfill’s 2013 application for an operating permit incomplete because the equipment described by the permit application no longer matched the equipment at the facility,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie explained. Accordingly, DEP never acted on the application. While Brunner landfill did finally submit a revised Title V permit application in June 2020, DEP deemed it incomplete and returned it in September 2021, telling facility operators they had failed to provide the required notice to Beaver County and New Sewickley Township officials. Since then, Brunner hasn't resubmitted its application for a Title V Operating Permit. The federal regulations that require most landfills (including Brunner Landfill) to have Title V Operating Permits established a June 21, 2022 deadline for them to do so. If you’re asking yourself, “It’s been nearly 35 years, what difference does it make for the landfill to have an operating permit now after all this time?” two problems come to mind. “First, because the landfill is operating equipment that has not been properly permitted, valid limits and restrictions have not been established for the equipment,” Baillie explained, “It may be impossible to determine for sure whether the equipment is being operated properly until acceptable performance tests are conducted, and such limits and restrictions are set.” Second, it appears that the landfill currently may not be subject to emission reporting requirements. When we checked on Oct. 21, 2022, no information about the landfill’s emissions was available on DEP’s webpage for Air Emissions Reporting. That makes it impossible to know just how much air pollution the landfill is creating. The landfill has 60 days to submit a complete application for a Title V Operating Permit before GASP is permitted to file a complaint in federal or state court. Editor’s Note: You can read the entire letter GASP sent to Brunner here.

The Donora Smog Disaster of 1948 is perhaps the most infamous air pollution event in American history. That weekend of horrific air quality killed 20 people and sickened thousands more, but it also galvanized residents to take environmental action - a movement that culminated in the creation of the Clean Air Act. We hope you’ll join us at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 for our online event, Making the Connection: The Lessons Learned (and Unlearned) from the Donora Smog Disaster. The event will feature a panel of local experts including: Mark Pawelec and Brian Charlton, historians from the Donora Smog Museum. Scott Beveridge, a retired, award-winning investigative journalist from the Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington County whose work uncovered new details about the disaster and its fallout. Myranda Fullerton, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service. During the 90-minute program, attendees will have the opportunity to view rare historical videos, learn from experts how U.S. Steel used a combination of public relations and victim blaming to downplay its role in the killer smog event, and hear heart-wrenching stories of personal loss and environmental damage gleaned from the pages of long-forgotten court documents. The event is free but registration is required and can be accomplished here.

Allegheny County Health Department’s regulation subcommittee is slated to meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15 to discuss, among other things, proposed changes related to the Clean Air Fund. Among the proposed changes is how much of that money can potentially go back into ACHD’s coffers. Right now, county air pollution control regulations allow ACHD to request up to 5 percent of the Clean Air Fund’s year-end balance annually for operating expenses. The Air Quality Program is requesting that be changed to allow the department to request up to 25 percent of the Clean Air Fund balance with a cap of $1,250,000. The meeting will be held in person and online and is open to the public. You can get all the details about how to join here (scroll down). Editor’s Note: Can’t make it? No worries. GASP’s senior staff attorney is a member of the subcommittee meeting and several of our other team members will be in attendance so we will keep you posted on what happens.

A new class action lawsuit against U.S. Steel alleges the company’s negligent practices at its Braddock-based Edgar Thomson facility led to dust blanketing local homes and noxious odors waking residents from sleep and otherwise interfering with their ability to enjoy their property. The Nov. 1 complaint filed on behalf of West Mifflin resident Alissa Finley “and all others similarly situated” accuses the Mon Valley steelmaker of “failing to install and/or maintain adequate technology to control the emission of noxious odors and fugitive dust” and seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what it called “reckless indifference to the rights of others.” According to the suit: “(U.S. Steel) knowingly breached its duty to exercise ordinary care and diligence when it improperly maintained, operated, engineered, constructed, and/or designed the facility and knew, or should have known, that such actions would cause Plaintiff’s property to be invaded by noxious odors and particulates.” The suit seeks to represent those who owned or occupied residential properties within a one-mile radius of the Edgar Thomson facility since 2020. According to the complaint, there are 3,746 households that meet those criteria but the complaint notes the "boundary is subject to modification" as the case progresses. Residents from more than 70 of those households have already been in contact with the firm filing the suit. This, of course, isn’t the first legal action spurred by emissions issues at the Edgar Thomson Works: In September, county and federal air quality regulators announced they had entered into a proposed consent decree with U.S. Steel to settle years of air quality violations at the facility. The proposed decree – signed by the Mon Valley’s most egregious air polluter, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) – calls for U.S. Steel to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty and make numerous improvements to the facility. The proposed agreement, which was subject to a public comment period, has not yet been finalized. You can read all about that on our watchdog blog here. Editor’s Note: The Nov. 1 complaint is a private action outside of the regulatory framework and is not subject to a public comment period. You can read the entire legal document here.

We know: It’s been a rough month when it comes to air quality. We read your social media posts and SmellPGH reports, which detailed physical symptoms like itchy eyes, scratchy throats, and breathing difficulties. We were right there with you when lamented having to shutter windows and forgo outdoor activity on downright gorgeous fall days because of off-the-charts air pollution concentrations. Now, we want to make sure the Allegheny County Board of Health understands just how much the abysmal air quality this past month has impacted you and your family - your health and your quality of life. We want to make sure the experience - the suffering - of those living and working in the Mon Valley (and those downwind of it) this month wasn’t in vain. That’s why we are asking you to join us next week in letting the Board of Health know just how bad it was this month. GASP signed up to present public comment at the meeting slated for 12:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and we hope you’ll join us in speaking out and demanding better. You - we - deserve better public communications during periods of expected unhealthy air quality and messaging. We deserve tweaks to the Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule to make it more protective of public health and more accountable to the public. And we need the Board of Health to demand better from its health department leaders when it comes to these crucial air quality issues. The upcoming Board of Health meeting will be held in-person at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Gold Room of the Allegheny County Courthouse. For those who cannot attend in person, the meeting can be live-streamed on ACHD’s Facebook page (no account needed). But the deadline to speak out is creeping up fast: Those who wish to send written comments to the board can do so using this form. These comments go directly to board members and will be summarized at the meeting. Use this form to register to speak at the meeting. The deadline to submit written comments or sign up to address the board in person is 12:30 p.m. Nov. 1 (24 hours in advance of the meeting). Please note: Individuals who would like to request an accommodation to attend, or otherwise participate in the meeting, need to do so by 12:30 p.m. Friday (at least 72 hours in advance) here. You can view the meeting agenda here. Editor’s Note: Need a refresher about this most recent bout of bad air quality? Here’s what you need to know.

At GASP, sometimes we read commentaries on air quality so bereft of facts, insight, and empathy that we must respond. The Oct. 18 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial addressing the onslaught of hydrogen sulfide exceedances in the Mon Valley this month titled, “Hydrogen sulfide alerts bring good and bad news” is one such commentary. Our criticism starts with the title itself: “[Insert any pollutant here] alerts” can never be “good news.” Ever. Under any circumstances. Basic human decency demands that people being exposed to any “alert” level of air pollution must always be “bad news.” Having to even point that out is deeply troubling. The editorial’s opening line was not an improvement. In it, the editorial board framed the most recent hydrogen sulfide (H2S) problem as one that lasted “several days.” In fact, on all seven days of the week in question (Oct 9 - 16), Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) air monitor data from Liberty Borough showed concentrations of H2S exceeded the state 24-hour standard (see data graph at the end of this story). Describing an entire week as “several days” is grossly misleading, but failing to mention the five additional exceedances of the standard immediately adjacent to that week (Oct 5, 6, 7, 16, and 17) is just poor journalism. To its credit, the editorial board pointed out the likely culprit – U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works – as well as ACHD’s efforts to reign in H2S emission via a $1.8 million enforcement action. No credit is due the editorial board for its ensuing series of fact-bending, disingenuous statements that made us question the very purpose of the Editorial. The board suggested inversions – not industrial emissions from polluters like U.S. Steel – “caused” the problem. False. Inversions only limit air pollution's ability to disburse. Think of it this way: If someone passes gas in an elevator versus an open field, the human experience for those nearby is worse in the elevator but the elevator didn't “cause” the episode. The “cause” is more correctly a lack of consideration for neighbors and/or the failure to manage internal processes. The board asserted as a fact that the H2S issues “were not caused by increases in emissions from the U.S. Steel facility” but it could not possibly make that statement based on independently verified facts just days after the exceedances. In fairness, GASP cannot fully assess blame for the precise, technical cause of the exceedances either, but it is worth noting that on Oct. 5, H2S levels at the Liberty monitor exceeded 0.100 parts per million, twice. Before then, concentrations of H2S that high had only been measured nine times in the past 20 years. We think that maybe – just maybe – something out of the ordinary was going on. The board suggested, “the impact of H2S on human health is small” and that “[c]ompared to EPA-regulated pollutants like particulate matter and sulfur dioxide . . . H2S is benign.” It was here, along with later incorrect or misleading assertions about these more “dangerous” pollutants meeting federal standards, that the editorial took its largest step away from respectability. We cannot imagine the level of arrogance or detachment from reality necessary to think, “Not long ago, stinky hydrogen sulfide would have been the least of residents’ worries.” Did the editorial board think one pollutant disrupting and interfering with residents’ lives should be celebrated as proof that other pollutants are ruining fewer lives? Did the board mean that residents who had suffered through this most recent bout of poor air quality should be grateful it wasn’t worse? That is how it felt, meaning it felt morally reprehensible. Whether or not some pollutants are less of a concern today, the editorial displayed an unconscionable disregard for the experience of living, breathing people whose health and wellbeing have been interrupted all too often by poor air quality – in the past and in the past few weeks. Newspapers have a duty to take responsibility for the accuracy of their work and verify information before publication. Displaying some level of humanity is also a nice touch. The Editorial Board should know better. Post-Gazette readers and local residents suffering from the effects of air pollution certainly deserve better. Editor's Note: We graphed recent H2S concentrations for those who would like to take a deeper dive into the data.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments to support indoor air quality management improvements to reduce disease transmission and improve public health. Building on the Biden-Harris Administration's Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President's National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, the EPA is seeking information to support the widespread adoption of actions that lead to improvements in indoor air quality, with a particular emphasis on schools and commercial buildings. Comments are due Dec. 5. EPA will review information received during this public comment period to support the potential development, improvement, and implementation of technical assistance efforts, including tools, training, guidance, and other strategies to support sustained ventilation, filtration, air cleaning, and other indoor air quality improvements in buildings. The Agency is inviting comments from a broad array of individuals and organizations with knowledge and expertise relating to the built environment and health, indoor air quality, epidemiology, disease transmission, social sciences, and other disciplines, and from the general public. Comments must be submitted by December 5, 2022. For more info on how to submit a comment check this out: FR Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0794. Why is this so important? Improvements in indoor air quality (IAQ) through improved ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning can reduce the potential for airborne transmission of diseases including COVID-19, and achieve a range of other positive health and productivity impacts for building occupants. The air we breathe indoors can be impacted by many factors, including the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a building, people's activities indoors, and the air quality outdoors. GASP lauded the EPA for taking further action to help curtail indoor pollution. “The pandemic has brought to the forefront many public health issues that have been on the backburner for too long,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We know how important it is for us to have healthy homes, and an integral part of a healthy house is healthy indoor air. GASP is hopeful the public comments period will garner information that will help EPA adopt standards that will help better protect us all.”

UPDATE #3: As expected, concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded federal health-based standards at Allegheny County Health Department's air quality monitor in Liberty Borough. UPDATE #2: The Allegheny County Health Department issued the following Allegheny Alert at 6:24 a.m. today, Oct. 26. The Mon Valley Episode Warning, which lasted from October 22-26, has ended. Overall atmospheric conditions have improved in the Mon Valley, and are expected to continue to do so moving forward. The Air Quality Index in the area is now below the threshold level for particulate matter (PM2.5). UPDATE #1: The Allegheny County Health Department issued the following Allegheny Alert at 5:24 p.m. today, Oct. 25: Based on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's forecast, the Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning will continue through at least tomorrow morning, October 26. The ACHD's Air Quality Program is monitoring the situation and will reassess conditions tomorrow. Staff will provide future updates to residents, as new information becomes available. Mon Valley residents awoke Tuesday to the stench of sulfur and rotten eggs, soaring concentrations of fine particulate matter, and a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day alert from the state Department of Environmental Protection, meaning levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are expected to exceed the federal health-based standard today. To put the stench into perspective, concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (or H2S) were so high this morning at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough that another exceedance of Pennsylvania’s 24-hour standard was guaranteed - the second day in a row for such an exceedance and the 16th so far this month. A quick word about H2S: It’s a colorless gas recognizable by its rotten egg odor and the concentrations we see in the Mon Valley can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat as well as headaches, poor memory, tiredness, and balance problems. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for some asthmatics, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Levels of fine particulate matter at the Liberty monitor were even more concerning: During the 7 a.m. hour, PM2.5 soared to 137 ug/m3 - the highest reading so far this month, and October has been a pretty rough month. While the concentration dipped slightly since then, a Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning remains in place. In an Allegheny Alert issued Tuesday morning, Allegheny County Health Department officials said a reprieve from this latest bout of poor air quality may come as soon as tonight: The Mon Valley Episode Rule warning is still in effect. Very light winds and a strong inversion will contribute to code ORANGE levels of PM2.5 in the Liberty-Clairton area with the highest concentrations coming between now and 11 a.m. Air quality is expected to improve this afternoon and evening as the inversion breaks. GASP continues to follow this issue closely and will keep you updated. In the meantime, we graphed the H2S and PM2.5 concentrations for those who'd like to take a deeper dive into the data:

This past weekend in southwestern Pennsylvania was idyllic: There were unseasonably warm temperatures, peak fall color, and plentiful sunshine. But for those in the Mon Valley (and downwind of it), the past few days were marred – at times – by unhealthy air quality, malodors, and a still-in-place Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning. Considering the public received many messages concerning air quality over the past few days – some from the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and some courtesy of sources outside ACHD’s control (namely, Apple Inc. and state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) air quality monitors) – we figured a recap was in order: FRIDAY: Some Poor Air Quality and a Lot of Confusion Mon Valley residents woke up Friday to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5), the pollutant normally driving air quality to hit “unhealthy” levels. EPA’s NowCast AQI values were well in excess of 100 based on PM2.5 concentrations reported at ACHD’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough. This means PM2.5 concentrations were in the orange, unhealthy-for-sensitive populations range. Around the same time, Apple’s (and iPhone’s) preferred air quality forecasting company – Breezometer – added a great deal of confusion to the situation. Starting Thursday afternoon, readings of coarse particulate matter (known as PM10) from DEP’s Beaver Falls air quality monitor started to show outrageously high values. While the DEP data page has since deleted the data – a sure sign the values were due to a monitor error – GASP staff noted a reading of 957 ug/m3 Thursday afternoon and a later reading of -63 ug/m3, suggesting to us that yes, the monitor was likely misbehaving. DEP later confirmed in media reports that this was, in fact, the case. Those erroneous values appear to have been published through Friday morning. While the EPA’s NowCast AQI was not factoring the Beaver Falls data into its calculations, Breezometer was. The result of this Apple-only issue was that while some local residents were suffering through poor air quality Friday, some others erroneously were seeing ‘middle-of-a-wildfire’ or ‘something-has-clearly-exploded’ types of AQI values. To its credit, ACHD responded, but somewhat inaccurately, which might have made the situation worse, or at least more confusing. An Allegheny Alert sent out Friday morning around 11:30 a.m. stated: This morning, multiple air quality/weather apps reported “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels of particulate matter (PM2.5). Many apps try to predict what PM2.5 levels will be as the day goes on. When the levels are increasing, the apps show a higher PM2.5 level for the rest of the day. When there is a weather inversion, the apps over predict PM2.5 levels until late morning. Allegheny County monitors measure air quality hourly. They do not predict readings. Currently, and throughout the morning, our monitors have measured “good” to “moderate” air quality levels for PM2.5, SO2 and ozone. Members of the Air Quality Program will continue to monitor the situation. The core problem with this message was that it appeared to commingle the actual issue of high levels of PM2.5 at its Liberty monitor and the imaginary issue of high PM10 broadcast via Apple. In fact, EPA’s NowCast AQI was correctly showing “unhealthy for sensitive groups” values on Friday morning. It appears to us that Breezometer was incorrectly showing purple “very unhealthy” AQI values exceeding 200 for portions of Allegheny County. The result was that ACHD seemed to be downplaying actual poor air quality that ended up culminating with an exceedance of the federal health-based standard for PM2.5 at ACHD’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough (based on official but preliminary data). Still with us? Good - let’s proceed with the rest of the weekend. SATURDAY: More Poor Air Quality But Somewhat of a Reprieve Just like Friday morning, Mon Valley residents woke up to high concentrations of PM2.5. Unlike Friday morning, ACHD outreach was clearer. PM2.5 levels coupled with predicted continued poor atmospheric conditions prompted ACHD early Saturday to issue a Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning. It stated: An Air Pollution Warning has been issued for the Mon Valley for the remainder of today and all of tomorrow. The 24-hour PM2.5 standard for the Mon Valley has been exceeded at an official monitoring station in the Mon Valley and is likely to continue. Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities during this time. Companies most significantly contributing to particulate pollution in the Mon Valley region are required to temporarily reduce particulate emissions. In addition, the DEP that day declared Sunday would be a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter in the Liberty-Clairton area of Allegheny County. These predictions left GASP staff and likely others following these developments worried about just how bad air quality might get. As it turned out, while atmospheric forecasting looked bleak, hard monitor data wasn’t as terrifying. It was suboptimal for sure, but Saturday ended without any exceedances of the PM2.5 standard. SUNDAY: Where Did the Pollution Go? While PM2.5 values waxed and waned across ACHD’s air quality monitoring network, continued poor dispersion spurred the department at 4 p.m. Sunday to issue an updated message through Allegheny County’s public alert system: The Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning will continue through at least tomorrow morning, October 24. The ACHD’s Air Quality Program is monitoring the situation and will reassess conditions tomorrow after the weather inversion breaks. Staff will provide future updates to residents, as new information becomes available. Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities during this time. But like Saturday, Sunday ended without any of ACHD’s air quality monitor site showing PM2.5 levels that exceeded the federal standard. What happened? There are three related issues we hope ACHD and the public will consider when assessing these past few days: The average wind direction at Liberty from 1 p.m. Thursday through 1 p.m. Saturday was 195 degrees (south-southwest, which is the wind direction that blows emissions from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke facility directly toward ACHD’s Liberty monitor). Since then (1 p.m. Saturday through 1 p.m. today), the average wind direction was 91 degrees (due east). Translation: While atmospheric dispersion has been very poor the past two days, what little wind we’ve had could have pushed Mon Valley emissions away from ACHD monitors. It’s not clear if the wind, the Mon Valley Air Pollution Mitigation Plan actions, both, or neither affected PM2.5 levels these past few days. Given that there have only been a few Mon Valley Air Pollution Warnings declared since the regulation was adopted, we hope ACHD and industry will examine and share findings about these instances. In light of the past days’ forecasts predicting prolonged and exceptionally poor atmospheric dispersion, we applaud ACHD for keeping the Warning in place through at least Tuesday morning given the threat that has existed to public health. GASP also wants to remind folks that ACHD monitors do not cover every square inch of Allegheny County - ACHD acting to protect all residents and residents actively reporting issues are both imperative. That said, we encourage residents who have been impacted by poor air quality to make reports to ACHD every time. As a reminder, here’s the link to submit them online. TODAY: Ugly Forecast, Waiting to See While ACHD monitor data show levels of fine particulate matter subsided Sunday into Monday, today’s forecast of continued poor air dispersion means concentrations of PM2.5 and other pollutants could again surge before they subside. As we mentioned, the Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning has been extended through Tuesday morning. GASP staff continues to follow this issue and will keep you posted. In the meantime, we graphed the air quality data for those who’d like to take a deeper dive: