Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) amanda@gasp-pgh.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GASP Announces Election of Five New Board Members The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is delighted to announce the election of five new members to its board of directors, adding valuable experience and expertise to the watchdog group’s team. The new members, who will serve three-year terms, include: Shawn C. Dalton, who is a fellow with Human Impacts Institute, where she is involved with its Stories of a Just Transition Pittsburgh. She previously served 10 years as an environmental board member and certified advocate with One Pittsburgh, now One PA. She also volunteered with Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign. Shawn has an associate’s degree in accounting and more than a decade of experience working within marginalized communities. Kelly Henderson, who is the co-founder and co-owner of Just By Nature, a Pittsburgh-based environmental justice consulting firm, as well as the K-12 Education Coordinator and adjunct faculty member at Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus. She previously worked for both the Green Building Alliance and Venture Outdoors. Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Colgate University as well as master’s degrees in teaching from Chatham University and science in sustainable energy systems from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Greg Kochanski, who is a senior software engineer at Google who previously worked at AT&T and Lucent Technologies. Previously, he worked as a visiting researcher for Rutgers University and a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford. Kochanski earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chie Togami, who is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh, where she serves as a graduate student assistant at Pitt’s World History Center. She’s earned myriad fellowships and awards for everything from collaborative research to excellence in teaching and serves on the board of Quaker Voluntary Service. In 2021, she collaborated with GASP and Pitt’s World History Center to create “Extraction,” a three-part podcast that examines the 120-year history of U.S. Steel Corp. and the people and places that figure deeply into this company’s environmental and social legacy. Togami earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Williams College and received her master’s degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Noe Woods, who is an obstetrician/gynecologist at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital and  serves as an assistant professor of ob-gyn at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She also works with the Birmingham Free Clinic, which provides medical care to underserved communities. Additionally, Woods conducts research on the environmental impact of medicine and healthcare sustainability and recently earned a Climate Health Organizing Fellowship through Harvard University. Woods earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her medical degree from Temple University. She completed her residency at the University of Vermont. GASP Board President Jonathan Nadle said he is thrilled the board has grown by five members – increasing the board size by a little more than a third. “The new board members are jumping in feet first, already taking an active role in furthering our work of cleaning up the Pittsburgh region’s air, involving more communities, and increasing GASP’s effectiveness,” he said. “We are fortunate to have new members from a diversity of backgrounds who bring an array of knowledge and skills. We look forward to our expanded board tackling the issues we all care about deeply.” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell agreed. “The experience, knowledge, and passion that our new board members bring to the team is just awesome,” he said. “I look forward to working with them to make 2022 the most impactful year yet for GASP.” GASP is a nonprofit citizens’ group in Southwestern PA working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policy-maker on environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. ### #JonathanNadle #GregKochanski #air #KellyHenderson #ChieTogami #ShawnDalton #NoeWoods #airquality

Wednesday marked the fifth time so far this year that levels of hydrogen sulfide (AKA H2S, an air pollutant distinguished by its rotten-egg odor) exceeded the state’s 24-hour average standard at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough. Preliminary data also show that while concentrations of H2S were also elevated at ACHD’s air quality monitor in North Braddock, the 24-hour average was close to – but just short of – an exceedance. Local residents confronted by yesterday’s stench took to CMU CreateLab’s SmellPgh app to detail how industrial and rotten-egg odors were potent enough to seep in through their closed windows and wake them from sleep. They also described physical symptoms like sore throats, asthma flareups, headaches, nausea, congestion, and more. But H2S wasn’t the only pollutant impacting the Mon Valley yesterday: Concentrations of fine particulate matter, a harmful air pollutant known as PM2.5 were also elevated during the early part of the day – contributing to an Air Quality Index (AQI) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as unhealthy for everyone. For several hours Wednesday, the Liberty-Clairton’s AQI was the worst in the country (again), according to AirNow.gov’s NowCast: (Quick aside: Fine particulate pollution is harmful to human health because it’s smaller and more able to infiltrate the body through the nose, mouth, and skin. This means they can travel deep into the lungs and even into the bloodstream. PM2.5 is linked to heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, and lung cancers. Exposure to PM2.5 is also linked to everything from baldness to dementia to mental illness.) “While concentrations of fine particulate matter were concerning but didn’t rise to the levels of triggering a Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning, yesterday was still a rough one for many residents in the Mon Valley because of poor air quality,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “A quick look at the SmellPgh app shows there was a short-term air pollution episode occurring that was impacting people’s health and quality of life. We think on these days, residents should be able to expect communications from the public health officials charged with helping protect their – our – wellbeing. But ACHD leadership again failed in this regard.” While no communications were issued regarding the abysmal air quality, ACHD did post an air dispersion forecast that indicated residents could expect AQI in the healthy range, warning only that “PM2.5 concentrations will be highest in the morning hours.” “We’re concerned about the disparity between what ACHD forecasted and included in its report and what residents actually experienced,” Campbell said. “GASP hopes that health department leaders see yesterday’s poor air episode as we do: A powerful example of why residents and advocates like GASP have been requesting more health-based information during these short-term periods of unhealthy air quality that do not rise to the occasion of a Mon Valley Watch or Warning.” So GASP is again asking ACHD Chief Operating Officer Patrick Dowd and his leadership team at the health department to better communicate with residents during these types of air pollution episodes that threaten public health but do not meet the criteria for a Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode alert and address the ongoing H2S exceedances. Editor’s Note: H2S concentrations at the Liberty monitor exceeded the Pennsylvania 24-hour average standard 54 times last year – which was more than twice 2020’s numbers. Here’s a chart detailing the H2S exceedances so far this year: #PM25 #H2S #airpollution #hydrogensulfide #AlleghenyCountyHealthDeparment #MonValley #hydrogensulfideexceedance #particulatematter #ACHD #airquality

Editor’s Note: This blog was updated at 10:35 a.m. Feb. 23 to include an updated H2S chart. Users of CMU CreateLab’s crowd-sourcing app SmellPG reported the usual odors – saying the pungent air that seeped in through their windows last night and this morning was reminiscent of rotten eggs. Some said it was a strong sulfur smell. Others called it “industrial.” The possible culprit could be the elevated concentrations of hydrogen sulfide that have pervaded the Mon Valley Monday and today. How bad has it been? Concentrations of H2S (known by its distinct rotten egg odor) at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough were so high today that by 9 a.m. an exceedance of Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average was already guaranteed. There was also an exceedance at the Liberty monitor Monday – making it seven so far this year. While there have been no exceedances at ACHD’s air quality monitor in North Braddock yet in 2022, concentrations of H2S were just under that threshold both Sunday and Monday. If you are unfamiliar with H2S, it’s important to note that exposure to low concentrations may cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for some asthmatics. The EPA says exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide may also cause headaches, poor memory, tiredness, and balance problems. But H2S wasn’t the only air pollutant of concern Monday and today when PM2.5 concentrations were high enough to drive the AQI in the Liberty-Clairton area into the unhealthy ranges Monday. Indeed, the AQI was high enough to land the area at the top of the list of places with the worst air quality in the United States. Levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) were also elevated, with a peak one-hour value of 70 ppb Monday. By way of background: The 70 ppb level we saw yesterday wasn’t over any regulatory limit but it is the highest concentration of SO2 at Liberty we’ve seen since Dec. 26, 2019. While GASP thanks ACHD for issuing an update on air quality, we hope they will consider being more proactive in the future and provide more health-based information to help residents mitigate their exposure to air pollutants. “We hope they will consider adding information about these ongoing H2S exceedances that impact residents’ health and quality of life,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Residents deserve to know what the officials charged with protecting their health are doing to address this issue.” The Mon Valley is experiencing a weather inversion. The 24-hour rolling average at the Liberty monitor is between 50-100 on the Air Quality Index (AQI); we have not exceeded federal AQ standards and do not expect to, but the AQ team continues to closely monitor conditions. pic.twitter.com/QSdZV52aY4 — Allegheny County Health Department (@HealthAllegheny) February 22, 2022 GASP wants to note that today’s H2S exceedance was guaranteed mere hours before the Allegheny County Health Department’s public hearing regarding Clairton Coke’s draft operating permit. For those who might not be aware: U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is a major emitter of H2S in Allegheny County. While it’s too late to sign up to speak at tonight’s hearing, ACHD confirmed to GASP Monday that the event would be live-streamed on the department’s Facebook page. GASP will be in attendance tonight to testify. Check back – we’ll post our comments and information from the hearing on our blog. #H2S #MonValleyairquality #H2Sexceedance #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #airqualityexceedance #MonValley #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Air quality is a complex issue with plenty of confusing terms and jargon. To help simplify things, our Fresh Voices for Clean Air participants crafted this awesome, plain-language guide to the most common air pollutants and where they come from. Check it out: Don’t know about our Fresh Voices for Clean Air Program? It’s an innovative program that paired a small group of high school students from Allegheny County with a group of their peers in Birmingham, Ala., for a 10-month collaborative partnership. Throughout 2021, the cohorts in each city regularly gathered via virtual meetings to participate in discussions with each other and guest speakers both to learn more about air quality and to build skills that will help them become more effective environmental advocates. By the end of the program year, participants created, developed, and executed an air quality-related project of their own choosing, with the support of adult mentors in both Pittsburgh and Birmingham. This is one of them. The partnership between air quality-focused non-profit organizations in Pittsburgh and Birmingham reflects our cities’ similar industrial and environmental history. A century ago, Birmingham was nicknamed the “Pittsburgh of the South.” Both cities have experienced some of the worst air quality in the nation. Discovering and discussing the similarities and differences between experiences in these two regions will be a key component of the collaboration. You can learn more about our Fresh Voices program here. #PM25 #NAAQS #airpollutants #FreshVoicesforCleanAir #airquality

We found a piece of good air quality news in this past Saturday’s Pennsylvania Bulletin: Emissions are expected to decrease at a Westmoreland County-based compressor station. Here’s what happened: Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage, Inc. has filed an application for a Plan Approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to install an oxidation catalyst to reduce emissions from its J.B. Tonkin Compressor Station in Murrysville. “The potential reductions in facility-wide emissions that the oxidation catalyst will bring about are significant,” GASP’s senior attorney John Baillie explained. “The facility’s potential to emit oxides of nitrogen that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone – alone will drop by at least 126 tons per year and its potential to emit the hazardous air pollutant formaldehyde will drop by at least two tons per year.” J.B. Tonkin Compressor Station’s emissions of volatile organic compounds (AKA VOCs, which also contribute to ozone formation) will also drop, although, from the information published in the Bulletin, it is not clear by how much. “At any rate, after the installation of the oxidation catalyst, the facility will become a minor source of both NOx and VOCs, although it will remain a major source of hazardous air pollutants,” Baillie added. Quick FYI on ozone: Ground-level ozone is created by chemical reactions that occur between nitrogen oxides (known as NOx) and volatile organic compounds (known as VOCs). This happens when sunlight chemically reacts with pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, chemical plants, refineries, and even some species of trees. And it can be harmful to your health: Inhaling ozone can cause everything from throat irritation and coughing to chest pain and airway inflammation that makes it difficult to breathe. Ozone can even reduce lung function and harm lung tissue, and exposure can exacerbate conditions like asthma and other breathing issues. Some scientists have compared ozone-caused lung damage to sunburn. #JBTonkinCompressorStation #compressorstation #compressorstationemissions #emissions #groundlevelozone #ozone

The Allegheny County Board of Health meeting’s public comment period Wednesday was dominated by residents who expressed their concern over various air quality issues, with some speaking out about recent bad-air episodes while others addressed the draft operating permit for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, as well as a lack of information from the Air Quality Program regarding recent regulation changes. GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell was among those in attendance, telling the board it must do all it can to encourage more robust and proactive communications from the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) during periods of poor air quality that do not trigger a Mon Valley Air Quality Watch and/or Mon Valley Air Quality Warning. For those not familiar with the new Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule, you can get all the info you need here. Here’s what Patrick told the board: Good afternoon. I’m Patrick Campbell, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution, an environmental watchdog nonprofit serving the region since 1969. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today.Over the past two weeks, GASP has heard an overwhelming number of terrible air quality stories from residents. Some told us about needing to place pillows around doors and windows to keep pungent air from seeping in, about asthma attacks that have become more frequent, and the all-too-regular and very real fear about what they’re breathing in when they walk out the front door in the morning. These kinds of stories are common during short-term episodes of poor air quality and days during which H2S concentrations exceed the PA 24-hour-average standard. So far this year, there have been seven days during which H2S exceeded that standard at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty. Over the past 10 years, Pennsylvania’s H2S standard was exceeded on 455 days.As Allegheny County’s appointed authority on matters of public health, you know that exposure to low concentrations of H2S may cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty breathing for some asthmatics. The EPA says it can cause headaches, poor memory, tiredness, and balance problems. We’ve advised residents to make odor complaints to ACHD. We’ve asked them to sign petitions and show up to share their experiences with you during meetings just like these. And they have. They have done everything that responsible citizens should do. The response to these complaints has been mostly silence from ACHD and this board. And that has to change. While GASP appreciates that Pennsylvania’s hydrogen sulfide standard is regulatory in nature, H2S exposure still has health impacts that ACHD could – and should – help educate residents about in a proactive way. Right now, ACHD issues a daily air quality forecast and dispersion report nearly every day late in the morning after residents have left their homes. GASP is asking ACHD to consider issuing that report earlier in the morning, as well as supplementing that already existing resource to reflect that day’s early-morning conditions, what people can do to reduce their risk of exposure, and when conditions are expected to improve. And we are asking this board to do what it can to encourage that communication because it’s what Allegheny County residents deserve. Again: Residents have been doing everything that they can to help improve their own health. But now they need YOU – the board members appointed to help protect public health – to do everything that YOU can. That means leveraging your authority and demanding more from ACHD. The time is now, particularly as the Air Quality Program is working to rehaul its communication strategy. In other business, the board voted unanimously to send ACHD’s revised coke oven regulations to public comment. Prior to that vote, the Air Quality Program shared several slides with more information about the newest proposed changes to the regulation, as well as a ton of background information: The meeting, which was live-streamed on ACHD’s Facebook page, can be viewed in its entirety here: #H2S #hydrogensulfideexceedances #H2Sexceedance #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #LibertyMonitor #AlleghenyCounty #alleghenycountyairquality #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #airqualitymonitor #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks

The deadline to weigh in on the draft air quality permit for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is quickly approaching, and it’s so important that regulators hear from residents like you. GASP is making that as easy as possible: Our attorneys have pored over the more than 300-page permit and are preparing written technical comments on its deficiencies. But they also took the time to distill all that information down into an FAQ we can all understand. Here’s what you need to know to make your voice heard, as well as sample language and a form that automatically routes your comments to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD): About the Air Quality Permit Process, Requirments ACHD has published a draft Title V Operating Permit renewal for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and is accepting comments on the draft permit from the public through March 15. A major source of air pollution (as that term is defined by the Clean Air Act) is required by the Act to have a Title V Operating Permit issued by the regulatory agency that has primary regulatory authority over the source. A facility’s Title V Operating Permit must include all operating restrictions and emission limits to which the facility is subject, as well as testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting, and work practice requirements that are sufficient to assure the facility’s compliance with those restrictions and limits. The Problems with U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works’ Draft Permit “During our review of the draft permit for the Clairton Coke Works, we found a few problematic omissions,” GASP senior attorney John Baillie said. First, the Clean Air Act requires that Title V Operating Permits for facilities out of compliance with existing requirements when the permit is issued include a “compliance schedule” designed to bring it into compliance. Even though the Clairton Coke Works is “non-compliant” with existing requirements by ACHD’s own reckoning, the draft permit does not include such a schedule. Second, the testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements that the draft permit would impose on several sources within the facility are not sufficient to assure compliance with the emission limits for those sources,” Baillie explained. Such sources include the facility’s No. 1 and No. 2 Continuous Barge Unloaders, Pedestal Crane Unloader, Coal Transfer Process, Surge Bins and Bunkers, Coke Transfer Process, No. 1 and No. 2 Coke Screening Stations, Coal and Coke Recycle Screening Process, and Peters Creek Coke Screening Process. “We welcome and encourage residents who have been impacted by emissions from the Clairton Coke Works in joining us in telling the health department: Don’t squander this opportunity to make improvements to the health and quality of life for people who live near and downwind of the facility,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “Let’s send the message to ACHD and U.S. Steel: We demand better.” How to Submit a Public Comment About U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works’ Title V Permit Members of the public may submit written comments to ACHD by U.S. Mail at 301 39th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Any comments you submit should reference the draft Title V Operating Permit for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works (#0052-OP22). Or you can use our form and sample language to email your comment to ACHD. Check it out: Editor's Note: The deadline to submit comments has passed. Thanks to all who weighed in! #USSteel #AlleghenyCounty #MonValley #alleghenycountyairquality #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #TitleVPermit #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Allegheny County Health Department issued the following as a press release Thursday afternoon. GASP staff is currently reviewing the documents. Check back – this blog will be updated. The Allegheny County Health Department issued $859,300 worth of stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel for Article XXI Air Pollution Control violations and permit violations that occurred at the Clairton Coke Works during the second, third and fourth quarters of 2021. Pursuant to the Department’s agreement that was reached with U.S. Steel in June of 2019, ninety percent (90%) of penalties ($773,370) will be paid to the Community Benefit Trust for impacted communities while the remaining 10% ($85,930) will be paid to the Clean Air Fund. In June 2021, ACHD issued $201,500 worth of stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel for violations that occurred at the Clairton Coke Works during the first quarter of 2021 through March 31, 2021. To view this enforcement action and other air quality enforcement actions issued by ACHD, click here.

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department today in a press release announced that it has fined U.S. Steel more than $1.8 million for H2S violations. You can read all about that on our blog. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) last week published a comprehensive study analyzing potential sources of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that have been driving exceedances of the Pennsylvania 24-hour average H2S standard at its air quality monitor in Liberty Borough. The 31-page study concluded: “Based on all available data and resources, H2S exceedances that occurred at the Liberty site during the period of Jan. 1, 2020, through March 1, 2022, can be attributed entirely to emissions originating at US Steel’s Clairton coking facility.” It’s been a low bar for good news in the world lately, but the study would have been outstanding news on any day. “This is exactly the sort of in-depth study we’ve been asking the Health Department to conduct for years,” said GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell. “We appreciate the significant effort that must have gone into generating such a detailed report and hope the Air Program’s enforcement staff are able to put the study to good use soon.” For residents who were already 99 percent sure Clairton Coke was the problem all along, we understand the study might not feel newsworthy. Perhaps it feels overdue or just stating the obvious. “We feel your frustration, but at the same time, we cannot understate the importance of this study eliminating that last 1 percent of doubt,” Campbell said. As you might have observed, U.S. Steel has a tendency to resist – legally – attempts ACHD has made to levy fines or make demands on U.S. Steel to improve its environmental record. With atmospheric data, additional monitoring data, and statistical analysis, the study appears to eliminate U.S. Steel’s access to plausible deniability (i.e., any arguments U.S. Steel might make about other potential sources of H2S). That seems significant, and for the first time in a while, we’re eager to see what comes next. GASP is following this issue closely and will keep you posted on what we find out. #H2S #ClairtonCokeWorksemissions #MonValleyairquality #H2Sexceedance #hydrogensulfide #USSteelemissions #USSteel #MonValley #alleghenycountyairquality #hydrogensulfideexceedance #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department issued the following news release Monday morning. The release followed GASP’s publication of a blog highlighting a recent report that places the blame for years of hydrogen sulfide exceedances “entirely” on U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility. Check back, we are following this issue closely and will update you when more information becomes available. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) today announced that it has issued a penalty of $1,842,530 against the United States Steel Corporation Clairton Coke Plant for 153 Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) hourly exceedances between January 1, 2020, through March 1, 2022. H2S emissions result in a rotten egg smell and have resulted in longstanding quality of life complaints from residents experiencing the exceedances. “While Allegheny County has been in attainment with federal air standards for two years, we still recognize that there is much to do to ensure that we continue to improve the quality of life of those who call this county home,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “I commend the Health Department for taking this extraordinary step that was over a year in its making and thank them for continued commitment and efforts to hold polluters accountable.” The exceedances were recorded at the Liberty Borough air monitoring station (Liberty Monitor). The fine is the first penalty issued by the Health Department against a single source for H2S exceedances. “As Health Department Director, I’ve made it a priority to empower our Air Quality (AQ) Program staff to aggressively protect the rights of all county residents and visitors to clean, healthy air,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Allegheny County Health Department Director. “All sources of pollution are held to the same standards, and we will continue to hold accountable any company or facility that does not meet those standards. I applaud the hard work and diligence of our AQ team in collecting and analyzing the voluminous amount of data that resulted in today’s action, and I hope residents do, too.” Pennsylvania’s ambient air quality standards limit concentrations of H2S to 0.005 parts per million per 24-hour period. These ambient standards are incorporated into ACHD’s regulations. Data analyzed by the AQ Team identified 46 days of violation in 2020, 94 in 2021, and 13 from January 1 to March 1, 2022. The Health Department recently completed a study of H2S concentrations recorded at the Liberty Monitor, which is available online on the Air Quality Reports and Studies page, under the heading of Other Air Quality Studies. The study demonstrated through analysis of monitored data that the source of the H2S exceedances was the Clairton Coke Plant. Other potential sources of H2S were evaluated and eliminated as contributors to measured H2S concentrations at the Liberty Monitor. The $1.8 million penalty was determined by several factors, including the number of violations, the severity of each violation, Title V major source status, and the company’s compliance history. The enforcement order is publicly available on the Air Quality Enforcement Actions page of the Health Department’s website or you can download it here. GASP thanks ACHD for taking the enforcement action. “ACHD’s latest enforcement action against U.S. Steel confirms what so many of us long suspected: That U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is solely to blame for the ongoing exceedances of Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average standard. This has been a long time coming,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “GASP thanks the ACHD for the comprehensive report that helped spur the $1.8 million fine. Hopefully, this is the first of many steps the health department will take to rectify this issue once and for all because Mon Valley communities have endured poor air quality for far too long.” Media coverage of the hydrogen sulfide enforcement action against U.S. Steel: U.S. Steel Fined $1.8 Million for Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions at Clairton Plant Environmental Groups: U.S. Steel Fines are a ‘Significant Step Forward’ U.S. Steel Slapped with $1.8M Fine For Alleged Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions U.S. Steel Fined $1.8 Million for ‘Rotten Egg’-Gas Pollution Near Pittsburgh #H2Sexceedances #H2S #ClairtonCokeWorksemissions #hydrogensulfideexceedances #airpollution #MonValleyairquality #hydrogensulfide #USSteelsClairtonCokeWorks #USSteel #hydrogensulfideenforcementactionagainstUSSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD