Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department approved all six of the resubmitted plans on April 1, 2022. You can read more about that here. The Allegheny County Health Department in a press release Thursday announced that it has reviewed air emissions mitigation plans for 16 sources that are required to submit such plans under the Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule; 10 were approved, and six were rejected. GASP on Wednesday was the first to tell you about the plans that were rejected – among them, U.S. Steel’s. You can read specifically about the U.S. Steel rejections here. Here’s what the release stated: Enforcement orders identifying deficiencies in the six sources were issued on Jan. 31 after the Air Quality Program determined that the submitted plans were inadequate. Sources were instructed to resubmit plans with more information and/or pollution reductions.“The Mon Valley Episode Rule is an important and innovative enforcement tool designed to protect people in an area that has long suffered from poor air quality,” Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said. “Everyone has the right to clean air, and our Air Quality program staff will ensure cooperation and compliance from all sources, for the health and wellbeing of everyone in the Mon Valley.”Letters of approval and enforcement orders rejecting plans can be found here. The Mon Valley Episode Rule, an addition to Article XXI – Air Pollution Control Regulations, was signed into law in September 2021 by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to develop and implement a system to respond to weather-related inversions in the Mon Valley, which can result in episodes of high levels of particulate matter pollution (PM2.5).Under the rule, Air Quality staff monitors pollution forecasts for conditions that could lead to an episode. When conditions are likely to exceed acceptable levels for the Mon Valley, sources are required to follow approved mitigation plans to reduce their emissions. Under the direction of the Health Department Director, an Air Pollution Watch is issued when weather conditions are forecast to cause a high concentration of particulates in the Mon Valley, and an Air Pollution Warning is issued when the exceedance occurs and is expected to continue for 24 hours.The rule applies to sources within or near the following municipalities: Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Clairton, Dravosburg, Duquesne, East McKeesport, East Pittsburgh, Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth Township, Forest Hills, Forward, Glassport, Jefferson Hills, Liberty, Lincoln, McKeesport, Munhall, North Braddock, North Versailles, Port Vue, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, Versailles, Wall, West Elizabeth, West Mifflin, White Oak, Wilkins, Wilmerding and Whitaker.Notifications and alerts will be sent out using Allegheny Alerts. To sign up, go here. Notifications can be sent to you via email, text, and/or phone call. A free subscription is required. GASP reiterates its concern expressed Wednesday (and as the Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rules were being crafted): Transparency. While GASP appreciates that ACHD appears to be carefully reviewing the mitigation plans and pushing for greater emissions reductions that better protect ambient air quality and public health, we remain disappointed by the lack of transparency. “These mitigation plans are a necessary tool for protecting the public’s health, we don’t see any reason why the health department cannot and should not make these mitigation plans available for public review,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We encourage the health department to post these plans on its website for transparency’s – and accountability’s – sake.” #USSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #AlleghenyAlerts #ACHD #mitigationplans #MonValleyAirPollutionEpisodeRule #airquality

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Friday that funding for more than $2.7 million in Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants (AFIGs) had been awarded to 18 cleaner fuel transportation projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants – and many of the recipients are right here in southwestern Pennsylvania. “These projects will help every single Pennsylvanian breathe cleaner air at school, in their communities, and at their workplaces,” DEP Executive Deputy Secretary Ramez Ziadeh said in a release. “The impact of these grants is not limited to a specific city block or bound by a municipal property line.” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell agreed. “This funding announcement is amazing news,” he said. “We know how dangerous diesel emissions are to human and environmental health. GASP is glad to see that a nearby municipality and some local and regional operators will be the beneficiaries of this funding – and we’re thrilled to know that the majority of funds were allocated to projects either in or serving environmental justice areas.” In fact, more than two-thirds of this year’s funding will benefit environmental justice communities. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, “environmental justice communities” are defined by DEP as any census tract where 20 percent or more of residents live at or below the federal poverty line, and/or 30 percent or more of the population identifies as a non-white minority. Low income and minorities are especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of pollution and focusing resources in these areas is an essential step in mitigating these disproportionate effects. A little background: The AFIG Program funds projects that replace older gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles with cleaner fuel vehicles that helps reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide, a principal greenhouse gas. The program supports things like electric, ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), propane gas, and other cleaner fuel vehicles. It also supports the installation of fueling stations for these vehicles. Why is the transition to cleaner fuels important? Consider this: Transportation generates 47 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions in Pennsylvania, contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone. Vehicles alone release 21 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the state, a known greenhouse gas and direct contributor to climate change. This affects the health of children; older people; people with lung diseases, such as asthma and emphysema; and those who work or are active outdoors. The state Department of Health has found that asthma-related emergency room visits increase when air quality is very poor. But back to those grants: They are awarded for projects in three categories: Vehicle Retrofit and/or Purchasing Refueling Infrastructure and Innovative Technology The 2021 AFIG funded projects will: put 87 cleaner fuel school buses, package delivery trucks, and other vehicles in use, save an estimated 262,798 gasoline equivalents (GGE) from the atmosphere, have the potential to displace the equivalent of an additional 220,000 gallons of gasoline (GGE), collectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 600 metric tons per year Local governments, schools, businesses, and organizations may apply for AFIG funding. DEP administers the AFIG Program under the Pennsylvania Alternative Fuels Incentive Act of 2004, originally established under Act 166 of 1992. Regional awardees include: East Washington Borough: $7,500 in AFIG funding for the purchase of one (1) Tesla Model 3 EV for the Borough’s police force. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 789 EVgo Services LLC: $197,042 in AFIG funds for the installation of a 4-unit DC Fast Charger with full public access in Homestead, PA. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 18,214 EVgo Services LLC: $156,000 in AFIG funds for the installation of a 4-unit DC Fast Charger with full public access in Pleasant Hills, PA. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 18,214 Iron Mountain Information Management Services, Inc: $90,000 in AFIG funding for the purchase of 12 electric vans for fleets in Allegheny, Beaver, Chester, Delaware, Erie. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 13,500 Iron Mountain Information Management Services Inc: $42,000 in AFIG funding for the installation of Level 2 chargers at 5 locations in Erie, Allegheny, Beaver, Chester, and Delaware counties. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 1,100 Nuvve of Pennsylvania: $300,000 in AFIG funding for the purchase of ten (10) electric school buses to be used in Washington, Mercer, and Allegheny counties. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 18,462 Thompson Gas LLC: $159,000 in AFIG funding to install two propane autogas refueling infrastructures to fuel LKQ’s retrofitted fleet vehicles at their respective branch locations in York and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions saved per year: 128,304 #airpollution #GovTomWolf #alternativefuels #diesel #GGE #dieselemissions #greenhousegasemissions #airquality

This was one of the complaints filed with CMU’s SmellPGh app Wednesday. Wednesday marked the third time so far this year that concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (or H2S, an air pollutant known by its rotten-egg odor) exceeded Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average standard at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty Borough. For those trying to keep track: 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. But that’s not all: There were 18 other such exceedances at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in North Braddock Borough last year. “Despite the regularity with which these exceedances occur and our regular calls to action asking ACHD to better communicate the issue with residents – Chief Operating Officer Patrick Dowd and health department leadership have refused to acknowledge the issue publicly,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell lamented. “We don’t know why ACHD has refused to be more transparent on this issue but do know that their silence is speaking volumes to residents.” Here’s what we *do* know: That ACHD issued an H2S-related enforcement action against U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works in April (as well as an associated press release), but no other details have since been provided to the public. So for the third of what may be many times this year, GASP is again asking Mr. Dowd and his leadership team at the health department to take seriously these H2S exceedances and better communicate with the people ACHD is duty-bound to protect – and to take swift action to ensure ACHD develops a communications strategy that better informs residents about H2S exceedances as well as short-term bouts of unhealthy air that threaten public health but do not meet the criteria for a Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode alert. “This is not only a quality of life issue,” Campbell said. “Exposure to hydrogen sulfide can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat, as well as breathing problems, headaches, and fatigue. Helping residents mitigate exposure should be a no-brainer.” Editor’s Note: GASP testified before the Allegheny County Board of Health earlier this month to request more robust communications around air quality issues. You can read all about that here. #H2S #enforcementorder #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #alleghenycountyairquality #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Today we bring you the latest chapter in the saga of Pennsylvania’s journey to bring the Keystone State into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI ). We last told you about this increasingly bizarre story in early November. But in recent weeks there have been several interesting developments and we wanted to bring you up to speed on them. So quick history lesson before we get to the new stuff: In early December, news outlets reported that the state Attorney General’s Office approved the “form and legality” of the regulations that will implement RGGI. It should be noted that the approval occurred despite Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s earlier expressed reservations regarding RGGI. “Ordinarily, approval by the Attorney General’s Office is the next-to-last step to occur before a regulation becomes effective – the final publication of the regulations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin is the last step,” GASP senior staff attorney John Baillie explained. “Yet, despite the Attorney General’s Office’s reported approval of the RGGI regulations, the regulations have yet to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.” The delay in publication might be due to a Dec. 5 vote to disapprove the regulations by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, which followed the *approval* of the regulations by the Attorney General’s Office. And like so much of this saga: Such a vote was itself unusual. Why? We’ll let John explain: “The law that controls the adoption of new regulations in Pennsylvania – the Commonwealth Documents Law – does give the Pennsylvania House and Senate the power to vote to disapprove new regulations, but provides that the vote is by the relevant House and Senate Committees,” Baillie said. “For RGGI, it’s the standing committees on Energy and the Environment, which must vote within a specified time after the regulations are finalized by the relevant administrative department – here, the Environmental Quality Board.” He continued: In this case, the committee vote should have been held on or before Oct. 2, 2021. Regardless of the House vote’s legality, however, the disapproval was not by a large enough margin to withstand a veto by Gov. Tom Wolf. So what happens now? Presumably, Wolf will veto the House’s disapproval of the RGGI regulations and the regulations will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. After that? The action will likely move to the courts. “We expect extensive legal challenges to the regulations in court, which could further delay their implementation by months or even years,” Baillie explained. “Opponents of RGGI claim that the regulations impose a tax, which only the General Assembly – not the EQB or the governor – has the constitutional power to levy, and that the Environmental Quality Board lacks the statutory authority to adopt the regulation under Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act.” We will continue to follow this story and keep you posted as new developments occur. #RegionalGreenhouseGasInitiative #RGGI

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Jan. 6 to correct an error regarding the volume of air pollutants emitted during the five-hour period. Perennial air polluter U.S. Steel was issued another civil penalty recently for violating the terms of its operating permit by allowing hundreds of pounds of air pollutants to be emitted following an equipment breakdown this past summer. A Dec. 15 enforcement order posted to Allegheny County Health Department’s website Wednesday shows that a $5,500 fine was assessed for the Aug. 27 incident that sent these pollutants soaring into the atmosphere: U.S. Steel on Aug. 27 reported to ACHD an obstruction in a standpipe of C Battery Oven C21, which caused the release of emissions from the charging hole for more than five hours. The NOV read: “Based on U.S. Steel’s reporting of excess emissions resulting from the breakdown, ACHD has determined that U.S. Steel is in violation of Condition V.A.1.a of IP-011b, which states, “The permittee shall not operate C Battery coke ovens unless the PROven® System is installed and operating in such manner that the collector main is maintained at a negative pressure and each individual oven is maintained at the lowest positive pressure necessary to inhibit leaks of raw coke oven gas to the atmosphere from oven doors, charging port lids, and offtakes.” A quick word about that civil penalty: $2,500 of it was assessed because of U.S. Steel’s history of air quality violations. The order indicated that nine notices of violation have been issued over the past two years. For those who are saying to themselves out loud right now, “Wait, wait, wait, only $5,500?” we want you to know: We’re right there with you. ACHD on Dec. 15 also took enforcement action against: Neville Island-based INEOS for failure to use EPA-approved testing methods. This is the third time that the company has appeared on the enforcement docket this year for air quality infractions. West Mifflin-based Liberty Pultrusions for its late submission of its Title V operating permit renewal. Verona-based CSI Construction, for asbestos-abatement violations at multiple locations for which ACHD assessed a $22,785 civil penalty. #airqualityexceedances #PM25 #H2S #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #cokeovenemissions #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 1-:17 a.m. Dec. 17 to include information and updated chart to reflect an H2S exceedance that took place Thursday. Horrific air quality returned to the Mon Valley this week, with the AirNow.gov showing AQI NowCast values at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty borough soared to 164, on Tuesday which is considered unhealthy. How bad has it been? Fine particulate matter (otherwise known as PM2.5) averaged 82.6 ug/m3 over the first 12 hours of the day Tuesday. The federal health-based 24-hour average standard is 35 ug/m3, and ACHD on Tuesday morning issued a Mon Valley Air Pollution Warning alerting residents that there’s been a PM2.5 exceedance at the Liberty monitor. You can learn more about Mon Valley Air Pollution Warnings here. During periods of unhealthy air quality, the EPA suggests that people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short, and consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them to reduce exposure to air pollutants. But that wasn’t the only air quality issue on our radar: Allegheny County also reached a grim benchmark this week – Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday marked the 50th, 51st, and 52nd days this year that concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (AKA H2S AKA that gross rotten egg odor) exceeded Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average at the air quality monitor in Liberty borough. It’s worth noting that H2S values were so high Tuesday morning, that an exceedance was guaranteed by 5 a.m. The ongoing issue remains a concern at GASP. “That more than doubles the 2020 tally at the Liberty monitor with 17 others at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in North Braddock,” our Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “GASP has been following the data closely and can tell you that residents in the Mon Valley have told us the issue is taking a real toll on their physical and mental wellness.” Residents also took to Twitter to express their frustration and anger: When I went outside this morning I could immediately tell that something was wrong. If you live in Allegheny County, please stay inside today as much as possible. https://t.co/gIrbiq2Nu2 — Katrina Eames (@katrinaeames) December 14, 2021 While ACHD issued an H2S-related enforcement order against U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works in April, officials haven’t said word one since. “At this point, it’s inexcusable that our public health officials have refused to offer more information about what’s causing these elevated levels of H2S in the Mon Valley, what they are doing to remedy the issue, and how they are holding U.S. Steel accountable for the part it plays in this mess,” Campbell said. “Residents deserve better than the silent treatment when it comes to matters of public health.” #H2S #airpollution #H2Sexceedance #hydrogensulfide #AlleghenyCounty #MonValley #alleghenycountyairquality #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #EPA #airquality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week announced a $1.4 million grant to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA) for projects that reduce diesel emissions from the nation’s fleet of older, dirtier engines and vehicles. MARAMA will use the funds to replace 40 aging drayage trucks with newer cleaner vehicles. By way of background: MARAMA is a voluntary, non-profit association of 10 state and local air pollution control agencies. Its mission is to strengthen the skills and capabilities of member agencies and to help them work together to prevent and reduce air pollution in the Mid-Atlantic Region. MARAMA provides cost-effective approaches to regional collaboration by pooling resources to develop and analyze data, share ideas, and train staff to implement common requirements. EPA awarded $53 million through the 2021 Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) National Grant program, and an additional $24 million was awarded to states through the State DERA Grant program, for a total of $77 million to reduce diesel pollution in local communities. “Cleaner trucks, buses, boats, and heavy equipment keep local economies thriving while better protecting the health of the people living and working near ports, schools, and along delivery routes,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “The projects will reduce diesel pollution and benefit local communities, many of which are facing environmental justice issues.” Fifty-five national DERA grants were awarded covering a wide range of projects to reduce diesel emissions including upgrades to school buses, port equipment, and construction equipment. Nineteen of these awards will support replacing older diesel equipment with zero-emission technologies such as transport refrigeration units, terminal tractors, drayage trucks, refuse trucks, a locomotive, and a port ship-to-shore gantry crane. In selecting projects for awards, priority was given to projects that: are in areas designated as having poor air quality. reduce emissions from ports and other goods movement facilities. benefit local communities. incorporate local communities in project planning. demonstrate an ability to continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. EPA also awarded $24 million under EPA’s 2021 DERA State Grants program to 49 states and three territories to implement their own diesel emissions reduction programs locally. This program allows states to target funds towards the diesel emissions reduction projects that best align with local priorities. Since the start of the DERA program in 2008, EPA has awarded over $1 billion in grants and rebates to modernize the nation’s diesel fleet and speed the turnover to cleaner on- and off-road heavy-duty trucks and equipment. In addition to DERA, following the passage of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA will be making significant investments in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. EPA will offer a total of $5 billion between fiscal years 2022 and 2026 to fund the replacement of dirtier school buses with low- or no-carbon school buses. Each year, $500 million will be available exclusively for electric school buses and $500 million will be available for electric buses and multiple types of cleaner alternative fuel school buses. In line with the President’s commitment to Justice40, EPA is actively working to ensure DERA funding, including Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, maximizes the benefits that are directed to underserved communities. For more information on DERA national grants:  https://www.epa.gov/dera/national-dera-awarded-grants More information on DERA state grants:  https://www.epa.gov/dera/state-allocations For information on the Clean School Bus Plan under the BIL: https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/clean-school-bus-plan #airpollution #MARAMA #zeroemissiontechnology #EPA #dieselemissions #airquality

Serious questions: When’s the last time you woke up in the wee hours of the morning choked by an industrial odor seeping in through your windows – one so strong you had to reach for a rescue inhaler? Have you ever walked out your front door on a gorgeous day to take a jog only to be forced to make a U-turn when confronted by the overwhelming stench of rotten eggs? Have you ever seen a plume of murky black smoke billowing from a company in your neighborhood and wondered if the air was safe enough for you to send your kids outside to play? We’re asking today to make a point: News reports often talk about how the air pollution burden we face in Allegheny County is not evenly shared. We use words like “disproportionate impacts” and “frontline communities,” which makes it easy to forget what we’re really talking about: Our friends and neighbors in the Mon Valley (and downwind of it) who have their daily lives disrupted on the regular by abysmal air quality. At GASP we believe that a person’s ability to breathe clean air shouldn’t be determined by their zip code, and we’re fighting hard to ensure our friends and neighbors will no longer be forced to ask themselves those kinds of tough questions. This brings us to why we’re talking to you today: Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, that beautiful day every year when the focus moves from Black Friday shopping to community empowerment – a day when like-minded folks band together, cracking open their checkbooks and brandishing their credit cards to help support the causes for which they are most passionate. We’re reasonably positive that by this point, you’ve likely been the recipient of about 147 emails from (very worthy) nonprofits asking for your support. We know a lot of the bigger, statewide (and even nationwide) nonprofits will try to woo folks with PR and paid social media campaigns. Here at GASP, we don’t have the budget for all that. This underdog organization has played an outsized watchdog role that’s helped lead to real progress in Allegheny County. With the help of supporters like you, we helped usher in a new air quality permit fee schedule that is expected to help better fund Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program. With the help of supporters like you, we saw the passage of new rules to address Mon Valley air pollution episodes and the drafting of updated coke oven regulations. We’re hoping that tomorrow, you’ll think of your friendly neighborhood air quality watchdogs when you crack open your checkbook or brandish your credit card. As a small nonprofit with a limited budget, we depend on the kindness of those who are equally enraged by our continually subpar air quality to help us continue the battle. So, if you think people shouldn’t have to reach for their inhalers in the middle of the night…If you think that athletes shouldn’t have to choose between protecting their respiratory health and taking part in outdoor physical activities…If you think parents shouldn’t have to worry that their kids will be sickened simply by breathing the air outside during recess, make a Giving Tuesday donation to GASP to help fight alongside us on behalf of our friends and neighbors who most need help. The beautiful thing is, you don’t even have to wait until tomorrow to help us make a difference. You can make a donation or become a member right now. Until tomorrow, The GASP Gang #MonValleyAirPollution #GivingTuesday #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #makeadonation #airquality

More people are calling on Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald to fill a key vacancy on the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee created by the exit of GASP’s former executive director, as two county council members asking for him to take action. County Council President Pat Catena and Councilperson Anita Prizio recently sent Fitzgerald a letter asking that he nominate GASP senior staff attorney John Baillie to the committee, a request we first made in mid-September. You can view that letter here, which reads: Dear Executive Fitzgerald:We are writing today to endorse John Baillie, attorney with Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) for a vacant position on the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee.As you know, Rachel Filippini, former Executive Director of GASP, served on the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee up until her retirement from GASP. John Baillie served as her alternate on this board and would be a logical replacement for Rachel. While we understand that GASP does not receive an automatic nomination to the Committee, their work speaks volumes in advocating for better air quality in our region.You no doubt will be receiving numerous requests from individuals who wish to serve our county in a role on this committee among others, however, we hope that you will carefully review what John Baillie brings to this Committee before making a nomination.Thank you in advance for your attention to this request. GASP has been clear: We want to retain our seat at this decision-making table but despite writing and calling, Fitzgerald has yet to in any way acknowledge our request. GASP also personally reached out to Air Pollution Advisory Committee Chairperson Dan Bricmont, who did not respond to the correspondence. GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell also made appeals to members of county council’s appointment review committee chaired by Councilperson Bethany Hallam asking for their assistance in moving the nomination process along, telling them that nearly 120 residents have sent messages to the county executive imploring him to nominate Baillie. “It’s truly disappointing that Mr. Fitzgerald is completely ignoring residents when it comes to anything air quality related,” Campbell said. “But his disregard for a highly qualified professional who wants to volunteer his time for the betterment of the county and its air quality is downright offensive.” GASP is hopeful that a flood of messages from residents to Fitzgerald and Bricmont asking them to do all they can to help move Baillie’s nomination along will spur action. If you have a moment, please fill out the form below, which will be routed straight to their inboxes. #PatCatena #AnitaPrizio #DanBricmont #BethanyHallam #AirPollutionAdvisoryCommittee #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:12 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5 to include information about tomorrow’s Mon Valley Air Pollution Watch. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for Saturday, Nov. 6. In addition, the Allegheny County Health Department issued a Mon Valley Air Pollution Watch. For those who might not be aware: The Liberty-Clairton Area of Allegheny County includes Clairton City, Glassport Borough, Liberty Borough, Lincoln Borough, and Port Vue Borough. Here’s what the DEP press release said: A strong temperature inversion and calm wind Saturday morning will likely contribute to a daily average concentration of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range. The highest hourly average concentrations of fine particulate matter are most likely to occur Saturday between 3:00 AM and 10:00 AM. 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 declared 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. Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day area are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by: Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use; Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials; and Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment. Here’s what the Allegheny Alert related to the Mon Valley Air Pollution Watch said: An Air Pollution Watch has been issued for the Mon Valley. The forecast for the next 24-hours indicates that the PM2.5 levels will likely exceed the 24-hour standard for the Mon Valley.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 contributing to pollution can contribute by temporarily reducing activities that produce emissions.More information about fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as well as the current monitored values can be found at: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department/Programs/Air-Quality/Air-Quality.aspx The Mon Valley was also plagued by unhealthy air Friday, with AirNow.gov listing the Liberty-Clairton area as having the worst NowCast Air Quality Index (AQI). The area also experienced another exceedance of the 24-hour state H2S standard. You can read more about that here. #airquality #CodeOrangeAirQualityActionDay #DEP #DepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection