Originally created as a way to draw attention to its efforts to improve awareness of air quality issues, GASP’s Dirty Gertie the Poor Polluted Birdie is back to educate (and dare we say entertain?) a new generation of difference-makers. PITTSBURGH – This fall, designers are throwing it all the way back to the ‘70s, with fashion lines featuring bell-bottoms, platform shoes, overalls, and other trends made famous during the Me Decade. GASP decided it would do the same. Because everything old is new again, the nonprofit decided to bring back one of its favorite relics from the age of disco: Our fine-feathered mascot, Dirty Gertie the Poor Polluted Birdie. With the help of a trio of local artists, Dirty Gertie will fly again on Oct. 18 as the host of GASP’s first-ever trivia night. While our gal Gertie first appeared as a cartoon in our outreach videos way back when, the character morphed into GASP’s official mascot years later, when one of our members would don a bird costume to raise awareness of Pittsburgh’s air pollution problem. Seriously. The 197os-era mascot costume was terrifying. “No lie: We’ve been told that the Dirty Gertie Costume from the ‘70s was – and I’m quoting directly – ‘the stuff of nightmares,’” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “We’re thankful to our new friends in the art and comedy communities for helping to bring to life a far less terrifying iteration of a Pittsburgh classic. Dave English was really the driving force behind the new-and-improved Gertie.” English, a ‘Burgh-born comedian/artist/puppeteer, and host of Pittsburgh Puppet Radio said he was inspired to get more involved with GASP after Filippini appeared on his show earlier this year to talk about Allegheny County’s poor air quality. “It was last Christmas when we had the toxic smog gagging us that I decided I might look into getting involved. By that I mean I got pretty pissed off that I couldn’t breathe and decided to do a live puppet show about air quality,” he said. “It was The Pittsburgh Puppet Radio Show and Rachel was one of my guests. She downplays it but she was the star of the show delivering some sobering news to my audience of adult puppet enthusiasts. In that interview, we looked back at Gertie’s era and existence and planted the seeds of her resurrection.” In the months since English has connected GASP with two of his friends and colleagues to lend their skills to make that resurrection happen. One of them is Pittsburgh-based mixed-media artist Leah Pecoraro-Eddy, who created the 2020 version of Dirty Gertie the Poor Polluted Birdie, crafting her into a bright red hand puppet. She said the decision to get involved in the endeavor was a no-brainer. “I met Rachel Filippini during Dave English’s puppet radio show in February at the Glitterbox Theater. I believe Dave and I actually spoke that night about working on something for GASP. It was almost an immediate response both Dave and I had, we just knew we wanted to get involved,” she said. “I am always interested in working with environmental groups as a way to benefit extremely useful efforts while doing something I’m good at: Making art.” Over the past few months, Eddy has worked to give Dirty Gertie the Poor Polluted Birdie a glow-up. The first iteration of our girl Dirty Gertie the Poor Polluted Birdie was a cartoon. “I looked at all the old animations and pulled up stills. From there, I figured out the scale I wanted and created patterns to get as close to the original as possible,” she said, adding it took about five days to create. “I had a lot of fun building this puppet, as well as her little set and podium. The set was sort of inspired by those great old ‘70s game show sets.” While Eddy was the mastermind behind the puppet, Pittsburgh actress and artist Tenley Scmida was tapped to play the Dirty Gertie character – a role she jumped at to play. “I’ve known Dave from the Glitterbox Theater scene. We’ve done some stuff together and he knows I’m rather good at characters, voices, and improv so he asked me if I would put all three together and host this trivia night AS A BIRD CHARACTER…which is the sort of challenge I can really get behind,” she said. Schmida said she can’t wait to see the reaction to her version of Dirty Gertie, and admits she’s still working out exactly what the poor polluted birdie’s voice will sound like just yet. “I babble to my dog every morning while I make his breakfast and my coffee, always trying out new combos. I’m torn between ‘Foxy Ingenue Judy Garland,’ ‘Mid-Atlantic Exercise Guru,’ or a wildcard I’ll simply refer to as ‘Flirty Fargo,’” she said. “It will all come together once I get my hand inside that puppet. I cannot know it’s mind until we are joined as one.” Those who want to get a first look at Gertie are cordially invited to attend GASP’s first-ever trivia night – an online event that will serve as one of the nonprofit’s fundraising events. All proceeds will go toward the fight for clean air in southwestern Pennsylvania. “It’s going to be the most fun you’ve ever had talking about air pollution. It will be a mix of trivia from the host puppet, cut-aways to music and other puppets, maybe some special appearances, and important messages from GASP staff,” English said. “Activism is happening in many directions for many reasons but there are places where it all intersects. I think breathing is one of those intersections. If you like breathing, puppets, and want to help make a difference this is the show for you.” Filippini agreed, adding that GASP intends to utilize the new Dirty Gertie puppet to help amplify its educational efforts at local schools and events. “Air quality is an inherently complex and somewhat dry topic,” she said. “We hope the new-and-improved Dirty Gertie will allow us to help us educate folks about issues related to air pollution and its impacts in a way that’s a bit more palatable than something like a Powerpoint presentation.” GASP’s trivia event featuring Dirty Gertie will kick off at 7 p.m. Oct. 18. You can register for the fundraising event online. Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit citizens’ group in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policy-maker on many environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: amanda@gasp-pgh.org #DirtyGertiethePoorPollutedBirdie

“School buses travel over four billion miles each year, providing the safest transportation to and from school for more than 25 million American children every day,” the EPA website explains. “However, diesel exhaust from these buses has a negative impact on human health, especially for children, who have a faster breathing rate than adults and whose lungs are not yet fully developed.” The office is now accepting applications nationwide for rebates to assist in replacing older, dirtier diesel school buses with new school buses certified to EPA’s cleanest emission standards. EPA anticipates awarding more than $10 million through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses will receive a rebate of $20,000-$65,000 per bus depending on the fuel type of the replacement bus. Here’s what you need to know if you want to apply: Regional, state or tribal agencies including school districts and municipalities are eligible Also eligible are private entities that operate school buses under a contract with school districts and municipalities Applications are limited to 10 buses. Fleets that own more than 100 buses can submit two applications. Rebate recipients will be selected via lottery, with at least one selected from each state/territory represented in the applicant pool. “While we know that particulate pollution from dirty diesel poses one of the greatest cancer risks of any toxic outdoor air pollutant, replacing school bus fleets is an expensive endeavor,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippin said. “GASP hopes local school districts and bus companies take advantage of this opportunity to help them make their transportation operations cleaner and healthier for the precious cargo they transport each day.” #DieselEmissionsReductionsAct #schoolbusretrofit #diesel #emissions #EPA #dieselemissions

Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner on Tuesday said her office’s audit of the County Health Department’s (ACHD) Clean Air Act permitting program showed improvements in 2019 over its previous audit five years before but added that it continued to fall short of full compliance with its obligations under federal law. Title V Section 503(c) of the Clean Air Act indicates that permitting authorities such as ACHD “shall approve or disapprove a completed [Title V operating permit] application, and shall issue or deny the permit, within 18 months after the date of receipt thereof.” The issuance of Title V operating permits to major pollution sources is what triggers the requirement for these sources to certify at least annually that they are Title V compliant. When Title V permits are outstanding, major sources can avoid providing these certifications. The issuance of Title V operating permits, which typically include the compliance requirements contained in any installation and other permits issued, also facilitates compliance monitoring and enforcement. “Both the manufacturing companies that apply for these permits and the general public deserve to have clear expectations and information on what these facilities are allowed to emit, which requires permit issuance in a timely fashion in compliance with the federal Clean Air Act,” Wagner said in a press release. “I’m encouraged by the progress made by the Health Department in this regard, and by their openness and cooperation in this audit.” As of Dec. 31, 2019, ACHD had not issued or denied Title V operating permits for seven of the 31 major sources in Allegheny County within 18 months from the date that complete permit applications were received. GASP has been tracking a backlog for new and renewed operating permits for major sources of air pollution in both Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Southwest Regional Office since 2016 and is heartened by the audit findings. “We hope the downward trend in outstanding permits continues, and that DEP works just as diligently to get its own backlog down,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “Air quality remains a serious public health issue in the Keystone State generally and Allegheny County in particular – regulators must remain vigilant.” A major source is generally a stationary source of air pollutants that emits or has the potential to emit 100 tons per year of any air pollutant, 50 tons per year of volatile organic compounds, 10 tons per year of any hazardous air pollutant, or 25 tons per year of a combination of hazardous air pollutants. Three outstanding applications were initial permit applications while the other four applications were renewal applications. ACHD developed a formal corrective action plan to eliminate the permitting backlog at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June of 2018. The corrective action plan submitted by the ACHD sought the elimination of the backlog within three years. ACHD’s communications with auditors indicated significant progress toward this goal, Wagner said. “I am pleased that my office’s previous audits were able to help the ACHD and the public identify the permitting backlog as an issue of concern, and lead to the concerted effort and measurable progress we have seen to rectify it,” Wagner said. The audit noted that circumstances beyond the ACHD’s control involving further federal compliance issues have impacted its ability to issue Title V operating permits to three of the major sources. In addition, public comment on one outstanding draft permit ended Aug. 17, 2020, and ACHD management indicated that the final permit may be issued shortly. Another draft permit has been reviewed by the ACHD and is currently in a pre-public-comment review by the company. A further draft permit has been completed and is currently being reviewed internally by the ACHD. ACHD management advised auditors that draft permits for the other major sources that compose the Title V operating permit backlog are also in various stages of completion. The previous audit cited understaffing in the permitting program as a primary reason for the backlog, which led the ACHD to engage an outside consultant to recommend an adequate staffing level. However, the ACHD was still short of the recommended staffing level by two full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2019. The ACHD created two new full-time Engineer Trainee positions in 2018. These positions had not been filled during the period of the audit, but ACHD management informed auditors they were filled in early 2020. One of the ACHD’s Permitting Engineers also left the ACHD’s employ during 2018, which resulted in the ACHD being three full-time equivalents (FTEs) short of the recommended staffing level at the beginning of 2019. ACHD did add two part-time contractors as Permitting Engineers during 2019, one in March and one in November. The ACHD lost one Permitting Engineer in March of 2020 who transitioned to a position in another area of the ACHD’s Air Quality Program, leaving the ACHD still one FTE short of the recommended Permitting Engineer staffing level, but ACHD management has indicated that it is attempting to fill the position. “The professional resources we choose to dedicate to a given government function are always an indication of the importance we place on it, and I am encouraged that ACHD looks to have made progress on correcting the understaffing issues identified in our previous audit,” Wagner said. The Controller’s office also examined the books of the Title V Air Quality Fund, which collects all emission fees, related interest, and other fees required by Title V of the Clean Air Act. The fees and related interest collected can only be used to fund the costs of developing and administering a pollution control program in accordance with Title V of the Clean Air Act. The Fund collected approximately $1.5 million in 2019, primarily from four sources: U.S. Steel Clairton Works ($641,838), U.S. Steel Irvin Plant ($350,701), Genon Midwest LP Cheswick ($189,924), and U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works ($169,943). “The receipts to this fund illustrate the significant emissions from some of the major industrial facilities in the County, and that these are concentrated in some of our most economically disadvantaged communities. We know that high levels of emissions have real health effects on our population, especially our most vulnerable children and seniors,” Wagner said. “We must continue to be forward-thinking in our efforts to reduce harmful environmental conditions even as we support and maintain the quality jobs these facilities provide. This is not a zero-sum game.” Editor’s Note: View the Independent Auditor’s Report Allegheny County Health Department Title V Air Quality Fund for the Year Ended December 31, 2019. #permitbacklog #airpollution #AlleghenyCounty #TitleVpermitbacklog #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #airquality

The demand indicated that Brackenridge-based ATI (a specialty steel manufacturer) and Harsco (which processes slag from ATI) violated the county’s Air Pollution Control regulations five times between July 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020. A $1,500 penalty was assessed for each violation. According to ACHD, an investigation revealed that the dust observed on residents’ vehicles was consistent with slag fugitive emissions from Harsco/ATI operations.  A previous investigation by the health department determined that the dust was primarily lime. Inhaling lime dust may lead to irritation of breathing passages, coughing and sneezing. How did ACHD come up with the amount of the penalty? A Jan. 7 consent agreement between ACHD, ATI, and Harsco set a penalty of $1,500 per violation. ATI and Harsco have 30 days from the date of the demand to submit payment to ACHD. You can read more about the consent agreement – which required that the companies construct a building to enclose slag operations as well as pay a $107,000 civil penalty. This is the second quarter during which ACHD issued a demand for stipulated penalties against ATI and Harsco. The department issued a $6,000 demand on Aug. 20 for violations made between April 30 and June 30, 2020. In a separate enforcement action, ACHD on July 30 assessed a $1,320 civil penalty against ATI for an opacity violation that occurred July 7, 2019 and was brought to light in a semi-annual report the company submitted to the department on Jan. 30, 2020. #Harsco

Mark your calendars for two upcoming panel discussions regarding the intersection of soil, air and water pollution and gender justice as well as sexual orientation justice co-hosted by Chatham University, GASP, and several other local groups. The first event is slated from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and will feature a group of powerful intergenerational leaders who will share their work and the ways they think about changes to those systems. Chatham is also seeking youth panelists to tackle those same subjects at a second event slated for 6 p.m. Dec. 15. “Our goal is to help mobilize young people and educators to take action related to pollution, gender justice and sexual orientation justice in ways that create joy, resilience and increased access to health and other opportunities,” organizers noted. Chatham is seeking youth speakers between the ages of  8-18 who are interested in participating in a panel to discuss actions they believe their communities are taking to increase environmental/health justice and gender/sexuality justice in our region. Artists, spoken word, videographers, and others are encouraged to submit to participate. This is a paid speaking opportunity. Please note: Those interested in serving as panelists must be available both Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 from 6-7pm for this opportunity. Dec. 1 will be a planning meeting so all panelists selected can meet each other.  To apply go here. Organizers stressed that you do not need to work both on pollution AND gender or sexuality justice to submit to participate – they hope to build conversations between people who are activists and community builders that may not normally talk to each other. Both events are free and open for all ages to attend – adults, high schoolers, middle schoolers and younger students who are passionate about this topic are welcome to register and participate in the free online event. Can’t attend the live events but want to submit a question for the panelists and then watch the recordings? No worries! You can submit your question to the intergenerational panel here and register here. You can submit your questions to the youth panel here and register here. #airpollution #ChathamUniversity

The vote came in the wake of 45-minutes of testimony both in support of and in opposition to sending the draft regulations out to public comment. GASP has long encouraged the Allegheny County Health Department to tighten up its coke oven regulations to make them as protective of public health as possible and lauded the BOH vote. “The regulations we have in place right now aren’t effectively combating fugitive emissions of air pollutants like hydrogen sulfide,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said following the vote. “We’re glad the process is moving along and look forward to submitting comments to help make the draft regulations as strong and protective of public health as possible. It is important that everyone, especially those most impacted by the air pollution have ample opportunity to weigh in and have their comments be part of the public record.” ACHD officials have asked for an extended public comment period of 60 days. Generally, there is a 30-day public comment period. For those who might be unfamiliar: ACHD’s proposed revisions to the coke oven gas regulations would: Immediately lower the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) grain-loading standard from 40 to 35 grains per 100 dry standard cubic feet of air (dscf) and then (in 2025) further lowering the standard to 23 grains per 100 dscf. Add six sulfur compounds to the calculation for determining compliance with the H2S standard Clarify technical language and definitions to mirror state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations. Remove specific inspection and observation methods. GASP late last year petitioned ACHD to keep its 2018 promise to tighten up its coke oven regs to reduce hydrogen sulfide – an air toxin that smells like rotten eggs – and reduce associated exceedances of the state standard. “Let’s remember these regulations are so important because coke-making is a primary source of hydrogen sulfide in Allegheny County and U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is the number-one emitter of H2S not only here, but in the whole state,” Filippini said. So far in 2020 there have been 19 days during which H2S concentrations at ACHD’s Liberty monitor mathematically exceeded the state standard. Editor’s Note: Here’s the Post-Gazette report on the meeting.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this afternoon issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for Saturday in the Liberty-Clairton Area of Allegheny County which includes Clairton City, Glassport Borough, Liberty Borough, Lincoln Borough, and Port Vue Borough. A strong temperature inversion supported by snow cover, along with very light to calm winds associated with a ridge of high pressure moving over Pennsylvania, will contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range, DEP said in a news release Friday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; Yellow means moderate air quality; Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all. An Air Quality Action Day is issued when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher. On an air quality action day, 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. GASP joins DEP in urging residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day area to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by: • Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use • Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials • Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment #DEP

UPDATE: This blog was updated at 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23 to reflect new information from the Allegheny County Health Department. A brand new PM2.5 monitor was installed at Allegheny County Health Department’s Lawrenceville air quality monitoring site Wednesday, Dec. 23, an ACHD spokesman confirmed. The monitor had been taken offline Dec. 16 because of “erratic data” being reported. An ACHD spokesman said that data from the monitor is now appearing on AirNow.gov, but it doesn’t come up as of yet on the health department’s dashboard. “The health department is working to resolve that issue and hopes to do it by next week,” ACHD Communications Lead Aaron Aupperlee said in an email Wednesday. #ACHD #airquality #Lawrenceville

On Christmas Eve 2018 – a fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works disabled its air pollution controls designed to reduce sulfur content from escaping the facility. That fire led the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to initially issue an enforcement order against U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works for continued Article XXI permit violations for daily sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions after the Dec. 24 fire. As you may recall, while Pittsburgh did get a white Christmas last year, it was because of smog, not snow: A days-long inversion trapped air pollution, not allowing it to disperse. The result was six days in a row of hydrogen sulfide exceedances at the Liberty monitor and five straight days where concentrations of fine particulate matter exceeded federal health-based standards. The incidents led to a sharper focus on two much-needed regulation updates: Those governing coke ovens and those regarding episodic weather events. Fortunately, ACHD has made progress with both of these regulations over the past year. The draft coke oven regulations are now in public comment, and GASP’s attorneys are   in the process of analyzing them and composing comments we will share with you as soon as they are complete. Progress on those episodic weather regulations aren’t as far down the line, though – there’s no chance that they will be approved this year, as Pittsburgh enters a new inversion season. That means that if the Pittsburgh region is hit with another days-long period of poor air dispersion, ACHD officials won’t have the authority to order companies that produce air pollution to dial down production or otherwise stem industrial emissions. “We totally get it: Regulations take time,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “But while the health department might not have the legal authority to demand industry curtail emissions right now, they are within their right – and responsibility – to provide the public they serve with as much advance notice of these events as possible. They can also explicitly urge industry to take the same mitigation efforts they ask residents to take.” While ACHD did provide notice during the last days-long inversion last month, it only did so after the bad air had passed. “Meteorologists let the audience know before a thunderstorm hits so people know to bring an umbrella to help protect them from the rain,” Filippini said. “ACHD needs to take a similar approach and let people know of a potential bad air day sooner rather than later so they can take similar precautions. As we know, children in the Mon Valley are three times as likely to suffer from asthma – so this is a very real issue to the people living near industrial sources of air pollution.” #episodicweatherregulations #airpollution #MonValley #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #airquality

The Wolf Administration this week announced that a $2.5 million contract is in place with the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to conduct research on the potential health effects of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania. “We are pleased to announce that we have chosen a partner to assist us in researching the health effects of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a release issued Tuesday. “My administration is committed to ensuring that Pennsylvania is a healthy, vibrant place for all who call it home. We look forward to the invaluable research that will be done by the University of Pittsburgh and the information it will provide for the commonwealth.” In March of 2020, the Department of Health published a four-county report on the number of Ewing’s Family of Tumors, cases of childhood cancer and total cancer cases in Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. “We have heard the concerns from families and community members impacted by cancer and other health issues in the southwestern part of the state, and we are dedicated to taking the proper steps to keep our residents healthy,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We are committed to a healthy Pennsylvania for all and efforts that prevent injury and disease in the state. This essential research project is a testament to that.” Pitt Public Health will be conducting two observational epidemiological studies focusing on known or suspected health effects of hydraulic fracturing. One study will be led by Dr. Evelyn Talbott, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., Professor of Epidemiology at Pitt Public Health and director of the Environmental Epidemiology section. She has more than 35 years of experience conducting cancer and other health effects studies in southwestern Pennsylvania and abroad. Dr. Talbott will investigate the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and the development of childhood cancers in southwestern Pennsylvania. “I grew up in Washington County, and one of my first epidemiology investigations at Pitt involved a health study of thyroid cancer among those living near a uranium mill tailings site,” Dr. Talbott said. “So this investigation holds both personal and professional significance to me. I am committed to community inclusion and openness as we go forward in our endeavor to learn the facts.” The other study, led by the director of Pitt Public Health’s Center for Occupational Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Research Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Dr. Jeanine Buchanich, Ph.D., M.Ed., M.P.H., will aim to replicate earlier studies on acute conditions, such as asthma and birth outcomes, using data from southwestern Pennsylvania. “As a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania with much of my research focusing on environmental health in the area, I am personally and professionally committed to a systematic investigation of the health effects of hydraulic fracturing,” said Dr. Buchanich. The goal is for both studies to be completed within the next two years. As part of the contract, Pitt Public Health will be producing public-facing summaries on a quarterly basis to keep the public updated about the research. They also will work to provide a study progress update at the end of the first year. At the conclusion of the project, a public meeting will provide information on the final outcomes of the research. “Congrats to our friends at Pitt Public Health on being tasked with conducting this important research – research that is sorely needed here in southwestern Pennsylvania,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. #asthma #fracking #PittPublicHealth