The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has slapped U.S. Steel with more civil penalties – this time over the inadvertent release June 1 of about 8,449 pounds of the toxic chemical anhydrous ammonia from its Clairton Coke Works facility. According to an Aug. 27 enforcement order posted recently to the ACHD website, the ammonia release occurred from about 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. when a scaffolding contractor “inadvertently opened a bleeder valve.” County air pollution regulations require companies like U.S. Steel to report immediately (“but in no event later than 60 minutes after” the event) all equipment failures “with a substantial likelihood of causing . . . the emission into the open air of potentially toxic or hazardous materials.” Written notice of the event is also required within seven days of the event. The Aug. 27 order addressed neither compliance issues with these requirements nor the delay between the incident and issuance of the order. The result of the incident was a penalty of $5,500 to be paid within 30 days of the order. The company has a 30-day window to appeal, as well. Of the fine, $2,500 was assessed as a “gravity component” and another $2,500 resulted from a “compliance history” adjustment. “The gravity-based component reflects the severity of the violation and the potential harm to the public or environment,” the order noted. For those who might not be familiar with ammonia: The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies anhydrous ammonia as a toxic chemical. The Centers for Disease Control list the toxin as a lung-damaging agent. “Accidental ammonia releases cause injuries and death to employees, emergency response personnel, and people in surrounding communities,” the EPA wrote in a safety manual about the air toxic. “Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive, and exposure to it may result in chemical-type burns to skin, eyes, and lungs.” This isn’t the first time ACHD has issued an enforcement order for the release of ammonia: On Feb. 19 the health department issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel for the company’s failure to submit a report regarding a May 26, 2020 equipment breakdown that led to a release of about 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. “We wish we could say we’re surprised, but this is what the community has come to expect from U.S. Steel,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “The company has a long track record of not only egregious air pollution episodes but also for its lack of transparency when these potentially dangerous releases occur.” She added: “It takes a lot of nerve for a company that increasingly – and at times aggressively – touts its commitment to both the environment and its neighbors to continue to rack up air pollution violations.” Editor’s Note: ACHD also issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel for data availability violations at its Edgar Thomson plant in Braddock, assessing a civil penalty of $3,200. You can read more about that here. #enforcementorder #airpollution #MonValleyAirPollution #ammoniarelease #USSteel #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #anhydrousammonia

Time is running out to submit public comments on Allegheny County Health Department’s 2022 air monitoring network plan, an annual report that provides a detailed description of how and where air pollution is monitored in the county. A little background: To ensure that all areas of the country meet federally established ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires submission of Air Monitoring Network Plans from each state and local agency that monitors air quality. These reports provide: the specific location of each monitoring station siting criteria monitoring methods and objectives frequency of sampling pollutants measured at each station and aerial photographs showing their physical location ACHD’s network includes 10 locations within the county: Avalon, Clairton, Flag Plaza (located downtown), Glassport, Harrison, Lawrenceville, Liberty, North Braddock, Parkway East (located in Wilkinsburg) and South Fayette. One or more of the following pollutants is measured at each site: Sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, PM10, PM2.5, and other air toxics. New for 2022? Continuous PM2.5 monitors to be located in Clairton and North Braddock (home to U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Edgar Thomson plant, respectively) as well as Harrison Township (near ATI and Harsco). “The monitoring network is the source of all official data used to determine if Allegheny County is or is not complying with the NAAQS,” GASP Staff Attorney Ned Mulcahy explained. “But beyond that, the plan lays out other ‘special purpose’ monitoring projects meant to address specific concerns or threats to public health.” One such special project proposed in the 2022 plan is an additional hydrogen sulfide monitoring station to be located in Clairton. For those who may not know: U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is the largest emitter of H2S in not only Allegheny County but the entire state of Pennsylvania. “We are glad to see additional H2S monitoring in the Mon Valley, which has seen more than its fair share of exceedances over the last few years,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “H2S impacts people’s health and quality of life, and it’s well past time for the health department to get a handle on what’s causing the exceedances and how to stop them. Robust monitoring can only help with that endeavor.” GASP will be submitting formal public comments indicating that, while we are supportive of the additional monitoring and other plan details, we do have transparency concerns. “Federal regulations state that one objective of every monitoring network is to ‘[p]rovide air pollution data to the general public in a timely manner,’” Mulcahy explained. “After issues with ACHD’s air quality dashboard earlier this year and no clear explanation in the 2022 Plan regarding how some of the new monitoring data will be published, we’d like to see ACHD provide details on how and when that data will be conveyed to the public.” Want to weigh in? Here’s what you need to know: All correspondence must include first and last name and a complete mailing address. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to david.good@alleghenycounty.us or by mail to: Allegheny County Health Department Attention: David D. Good Air Quality Program 301 39th Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201 Comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 9 Editor’s Note: Check back, this blog will be updated with a link to our public comments once they are submitted. #H2S #airpollution #hydrogensulfide #USSteel #LibertyMonitor #ATI #Harsco #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #AlleghenyCountyairmonitoring #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #Clairton #airquality

Air quality stayed mostly in the unhealthy range Monday, with concentrations of fine particle pollution exceeding the federal health-based standard at all three of Allegheny County Health Department’s operating PM2.5 monitors. The 24-hour average PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard is 35 micrograms per cubic meter. Yesterday the 24-hour average at the Lawrenceville Monitor was 36.6 ug/m3, 44.5 ug/m3 at Liberty, and 59.1 ug/m3 at Parkway East. ACHD’s Avalon monitor, which also monitors PM2.5, was offline. That brings the unofficial PM2.5 exceedance tally for 2021 to three at Liberty. The first two exceedances occurred on March 10 (44.6 ug/m3) and April 7 (38.2 ug/m3), according to preliminary data. ACHD’s final, official data reported to EPA could differ. “This latest bout of bad air again reinforces the need for strong episodic weather regulations,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “Businesses need to do their part and reduce emissions-causing activities on days when air quality is expected to be poor in part because of weather conditions. Residents need information on how to mitigate their exposure to harmful air pollutants. The proposed regulation would help accomplish both of these things.” The day culminated in the state Department of Environmental Protection designating today, Tuesday July 6 as a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone in not only Allegheny County but also, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. 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 and the Allegheny County Health Department in encouraging residents and businesses to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by: Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation; Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips; Limiting engine idling; Refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use #PM25 #H2S #PM25exceedance #hydrogensulfideexceedance #emissions #fineparticlepollution #episodicairpollutionregulations #ACHD #airquality

This story was updated at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday to include a statement issued by the Allegheny County Health Department. Another day, another air quality exceedance for the Mon Valley. For the second straight day, concentrations of hydrogen-sulfide (H2S) at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty exceeded the state 24-hour average standard of 0.005 ppm on Tuesday. The average concentration there was 0.007 ppm. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas most commonly recognized by its “rotten egg” smell. “While H2S at Liberty was pretty bad yesterday, the 24-hour average concentration at North Braddock was just 0.001 ppm – and that required rounding up,” GASP staff attorney Ned Mulcahy noted. “I really can’t explain it, but the same thing is happening today. H2S at Liberty averaged 0.023 ppm from 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. but over the same time period at North Braddock the average was just 0.004 ppm.” Based on numbers published shortly before this story, the 24-hour average h2s concentration at Liberty will exceed the state standard again today, making four such exceedances in five days. And that’s not all of today’s air quality concerns. Levels of fine particulate matter (pm2.5), were high enough at one point this morning to earn the Liberty-Clairton the distinction of worst air quality in the country per AirNow.gov. Levels are expected to drop through the day but by how much is unclear. GASP will continue to monitor the data and will update this report if there is an exceedance for either H2S or fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Following the publication of this story, ACHD issued the following statement via its Allegheny Alerts system: Starting last evening, air quality readings for PM2.5 at the Liberty Monitor increased and have remained elevated. This is unusual and unexpected because the air dispersion forecast was for fair air quality yesterday evening and fair for this morning.The Health Department contacted US Steel regarding these unhealthy air quality readings and was informed that they took their three oldest batteries off line sometime in the past 12 hours. However, ACHD is requesting additional information from the company to understand the situation.While we continue to work with US Steel, we are issuing an Air Pollution Watch 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.We have requested that US Steel delay bringing the batteries online until air quality improves and we have a better understanding of what caused the unhealthy situation. Editor’s Note: These exceedances come on the heels of a Notice of Violation issued by ACHD to U.S. Steel regarding concentrations of hydrogen-sulfide. You can read more about that here. #H2S #AQI #H2Sexceedance #hydrogensulfide #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #Clairton #airquality

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hold a virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 6 to take testimony from interested parties on DEP’s interim response under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) at the former Mazzaro-McKees Rocks Landfill site in Kennedy Township. This unpermitted municipal landfill ceased operations prior to modern regulations and sits atop historic coal mining features. In 2006, DEP previously conducted a prompt interim response to remove exposed waste and drums from a portion of the site. Recent work by DEP and its contractors has demonstrated that landfill gas (LFG), including methane, exists within the site and potentially beyond the boundaries of the site, at levels that exceed standards established in Pennsylvania regulations for combustible gas monitoring, off-site migration, and mitigation at permitted municipal waste landfill sites. DEP has begun a second prompt interim response at the site to help prevent the potential for offsite LFG migration. After considering multiple alternatives for remediation at the site, DEP determined that the most cost-effective approach that also meets the objective of the project is to install a passive trench venting system. DEP estimates the total project budget to be between $1.6 million and $2 million, with less than one year for its contractor to complete the work. The administrative record which contains the information that supports DEP’s selection of this response action is available for public review and comment. The administrative record is available for review on the DEP’s webpage for this response. Those wishing to register for the virtual public hearing must contact Lauren Fraley, community relations coordinator, by email at lfraley@pa.gov or by calling 412-442-4203, at least 24 hours before the hearing. Video demonstrations and screen sharing by witnesses will not be permitted. Testimony will be limited to three minutes. DEP asks that each organization designate one speaker per group and reminds those presenting that time may not be shared or relinquished to others. The WebEx information for the virtual public hearing is available through the public participation page on DEP’s website at https://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/Pages/Virtual-Public-Hearings.aspx. DEP will equally consider all comments, whether delivered orally during the virtual hearing or submitted in writing. Written comments may be submitted to RA-EPSW-HSCA@pa.gov and must be received by 4:00 PM on Friday, May 21, 2021. Individuals wishing to attend who require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodations to participate should contact Lauren Fraley by email at lfraley@pa.gov or by calling 412-442-4203. #methane #DEP

Allegheny County experienced three more air quality exceedances this past weekend, with residents of the Mon Valley breathing in the worst of it. Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) data show that levels of fine particulate matter were elevated at its Liberty air quality monitor situated downwind of U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, exceeding federal health limits Friday. The 24-hour average concentration of PM2.5 at the Liberty monitor was 43.4 ug/m3. The federal health-based standard is 35 ug/m3. But that’s not all: Concentrations of hydrogen sulfide at the Liberty monitor exceeded the Pennsylvania standard on both Friday and Saturday. Although ACHD was aware since Wednesday that a bout of stagnant weather conditions could exacerbate local air quality, there was no public disclosure or warning issued until after the PM2.5 exceedance was noted. In a Post-Gazette story, an ACHD spokesman was nonchalant about the lack of disclosure, saying it was the responsibility of DEP – not ACHD – to issue action day alerts. “Residents of Allegheny County just want to be able to breathe. If conditions are going to be ripe for exceptionally poor air quality, they need to hear about it from the health department, sooner rather than later, so that they can do what they can to mitigate health impacts,” said GASP Executive Director, Rachel Filippini. GASP, which regularly checks ACHD’s air dispersion reports, began warning the public last Wednesday that weather conditions were expected to tank local air quality Friday into Saturday. In its public alert Saturday, ACHD reiterated that it is taking steps to address poor air quality during inversions, which include a regulation aimed at emission mitigation requirements for industry operating in the county during these weather-related pollution episodes. It further noted that the department is working to build an infrastructure to model and forecast inversion events. GASP appreciates and supports these efforts. But we would be remiss in our watchdog duties if we didn’t again call on ACHD to prioritize outreach when these events are expected so the residents they serve can have the knowledge they need to make better decisions about their own health. ACHD issuing a public alert after a bad air episode is akin to a meteorologist warning people about a tornado the day after it rips through a town. It’s not helpful. Editor’s Note: We know that when it comes to complex data, visuals can be helpful. Check out these infographics to take a deeper dive: #airpollution #dispersion #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #episodicairpollutionregulations #ACHD #airquality

Good news: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $5.67 million grant to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), money that will offset the cost incurred by the Port Authority of Allegheny County in purchasing battery-electric buses. “We are quite fortunate in this community to have so many collaborations that benefit our region – and this announcement is no exception,” County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a press release issued Friday. “The application by the Health Department for this funding from the Targeted Airshed Grant (TAG) Program, and the award by the EPA, will go a long way in helping Port Authority continue to transition to a more environmentally-friendly bus fleet, leading to better air quality and a cleaner environment for our citizens and our region.” The Port Authority is purchasing seven 60-foot articulated battery-electric buses and one electric charging station. The buses will be used in the operation of the Authority’s Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-Wilkinsburg Bus Rapid Transit corridor, which is expected to be in operation by the end of 2022. “The Health Department is excited to help Port Authority transition to cleaner transportation in Allegheny County,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the Health Department. “This is a small but important step toward cleaner air for all.” The nearly $5.7 million grant represents the largest award to date by the EPA to Allegheny County under the Targeted Airshed Grant Program. In 2010, the EPA awarded the Health Department $2.9 million for pollution-reducing efforts in the industrial Mon Valley area through the Targeted Airshed Grant Program. “Receiving this grant will help us put electric vehicles in densely-populated areas with high public transit ridership,” said Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman. “We are grateful to the Allegheny County Health Department for submitting this application on our behalf as we continue to move toward a more environmentally-friendly fleet.” “We too are grateful to the ACHD for applying for this funding,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said.  “Reducing diesel emissions, a known carcinogen, in our communities is critically important to do.” The EPA’s Targeted Airshed Grant (TAG) Program funds projects that benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions in areas with historically poor air quality. The EPA selected the Health Department’s application through a competitive grant program. #airpollution #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #airquality #electricbuses

The state Environmental Quality Board (EQB) will kick off the series of hearings on Dec. 8 and will accept written comments on the matter through Jan. 14 so GASP wanted to be sure you were armed with all the information you need to not only understand what RGGI is all about but how you can make sure your voice is heard. “The Proposed Rulemaking deserves every Pennsylvanian’s support because it will help reduce air pollution, improve public health, and begin to address the problem of global warming brought on by CO2 emissions from sources in Pennsylvania,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. So here’s what you need to know: As we reported last month, EQB published proposed rulemaking that would enable Pennsylvania to join RGGI beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. For those who may not be familiar, RGGI is a cap-and-trade program that uses a two-pronged approach to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from certain electric generating units (known as EGUs) in participating states. The first prong reduces CO2 emissions by establishing a regional budget for such emissions from units that are subject to the program as well as a statewide budget for each of the participating states. Each participating state issues CO2 allowances (with each allowance representing a ton of budgeted CO2 emissions) and sells them through quarterly auctions. Electric generating units subject to the program must purchase a CO2 allowance for each ton of CO2 they will emit. Then, those CO2 allowances may be auctioned across state lines within the participating states. “Basically, that means that an electric generating unit in Pennsylvania could obtain allowances issued by other states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” Baillie explained. The second prong of the program would further reduce CO2 emissions by using the proceeds of those auctions allowances to fund renewable energy projects and energy-efficiency programs. Currently, 11 states participate in RGGI – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. Operating electrical generating units in Pennsylvania that had a generating capacity of at least 25 megawatt equivalents at any time after Jan. 1, 2005, would be subject to the new RGGI rules. There are currently 140  electrical generating units operated by 57 facilities in Pennsylvania that would be subject to the RGGI. That number is predicted to increase to 150 electrical generating units across  62 facilities by Jan. 1, 2022. Notably, Pennsylvania would reserve about 9 million CO2 allowances per year for waste coal plants in order to ensure that those plants can keep operating to remediate waste coal piles, which cause water pollution and present fire hazards throughout the Commonwealth. In Pennsylvania, proceeds from the auction would be used to defray the program’s operating costs and would be held in the Department of Environmental Protection’s Clean Air Fund, purportedly to be used to eliminate air pollution. The proposed rulemaking would require that Pennsylvania’s budgeted CO2 emissions fall from about 78 million tons of CO2 in 2022 to approximately 58 million tons in 2030 – a drop of about 31 percent. The EQB projects that during that same period, the program would reduce emissions of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen in Pennsylvania by 112,000 tons, and reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 67,000 tons. “Those reductions, as well as unquantified reductions of other pollutants, would provide significant health benefits to Pennsylvanians and we hope residents will join us in pledging their support for the program during these upcoming hearings,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “Pennsylvania has an opportunity to take real action on reducing air pollution through this program and we need to seize it.” She said RGGI was promising but noted it isn’t perfect – there are some issues with the proposed rulemaking: Important sources of CO2 emissions outside the electric generating sector, including oil refineries, steel mills, natural gas production, and coke ovens, as well as cogeneration units located at industrial sites, will not be subject to the RGGI’s requirements. “CO2 emissions from those sources will continue to go unregulated,” Baillie said. Proceeds from the auctions of CO2 allowances in Pennsylvania will be deposited into DEP’s Clean Air Fund. Although money from the Clean Air Fund must be used for the elimination of air pollution, “the full and normal range of activities” of DEP, including administrative expenses, are deemed to contribute to the elimination of air pollution under the regulations that govern the fund. “Thus, there is no guarantee that the proceeds of auctions of CO2 emissions will be used to fund energy efficiency and green energy projects,” Filippini said. “And GASP finds that troubling.” The proposed rulemaking does not identify any criteria that will be used to determine which energy efficiency and green energy programs will be funded from the proceeds of the auctions of CO2 allowances. It is not clear whether money from the Clean Air Fund could be disbursed to pay for energy efficiency and green energy programs administered by the Allegheny County Health Department and Philadelphia Air Management Services, which administer the air pollution laws in Allegheny County and Philadelphia, respectively. The EQB is accepting written comments on the Proposed Rulemaking through Jan. 14, 2021. You can obtain a copy of the proposed rulemaking from DEP’s eComment webpage (where it is listed as “Proposed Rulemaking:  CO2 Budget Trading Program (#7-559)), and also submit comments there. Information about submitting comments is available in the Proposed Rulemaking, at 50 Pa. Bulletin 6212, 6231. The EQB will also hold virtual public hearings on the proposed rulemaking on the following dates and times: Dec. 8 at 9 a.m.—12 p.m. and 1 p.m.—4 p.m. Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.—4 p.m., and 6 p.m.—9 p.m. Dec. 10 at 1 p.m.—4 p.m., and 6 p.m.—9 p.m. Dec. 11 at 9 a.m.—12 p.m., and 1 p.m.—4 p.m. Dec. 14 at 1 p.m.—4 p.m., and 6 p.m.—9 p.m. To present testimony at a hearing, you must sign up at least 24 hours in advance by contacting Jennifer Swan at (717) 783-8727 or RA-EPEQB@pa.gov. Editor’s Note: GASP is currently crafting written comments and will post those as soon as they are submitted. Check back – we will provide sample language regarding RGGI for residents to use to submit their own comments. #airpollution #RegionalGreenhouseGasInitiative #RGGI #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #DEP #airquality #capandtradeprogram #carbondioxide

Your generous donations will help fund important watchdog work, progressive policy advocacy, and education initiatives in the name of better air quality as we head into 2021. “It’s difficult to verbalize just how much this kind of grassroots support means to small nonprofits like us,” Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “GASP started 51 years ago in the living room of our founder – the late, great Michelle Madoff – and a core group of residents fed up with abysmal air quality and committed to helping to improve it. We’re grateful that over the years, that core group has gotten bigger and it’s gotten louder – and we can’t wait to make more noise with them over the next year.” Editor’s Note: Missed Giving Tuesday? No worries – you can still make a one-time or recurring donation to GASP here. #airquality #GivingTuesday

GASP is taking this opportunity to add its voice to the chorus of folks seeking your help today. Our pitch is simple: We are asking those participating in Giving Tuesday to consider making a one-time or recurring donation to the Group Against Smog and Pollution. Supporters like you help fuel our air quality watchdog work, education initiatives, and progressive policy activism. Why? Because the ugly truth is sometimes our beautiful hometown really stinks. Literally. Yes, our local air quality has improved since Pittsburgh’s “hell with its lid off” days but air pollution (especially from industry sources) is still a pervasive regional problem – one that GASP has the expertise and experience to help solve. While we would usually try to make an emotional appeal at this point, we really don’t need to. When it comes to air pollution, its local impact, and how GASP can help, the numbers speak for themselves: 23 – The number of times so far this year that the 24-hour concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at the Allegheny County Health Department’s Liberty monitor exceeded the state standard.  Hydrogen sulfide has a strong rotten egg odor that you may be all too familiar with. 22.5 – The percentage of elementary school children in environmental justice communities like Clairton and Braddock that have asthma (that’s more than three times the national average). 18 – The average number of months it takes for the health department to promulgate a new air quality regulation (example: episodic weather regulations that would force industrial polluters to dial down production when poor air dispersion is expected to exacerbate air pollution and cause a public health hazard). 2 – The number of full-time attorneys GASP has on staff full-time to lead our watchdog work, ensure permits are as strong as possible and help analyze air quality data and communicate it in a way that people can understand. 4 – The number of ACHD Air Quality Program committees that GASP staff serves on – the Pollution Prevention and Education, Criteria Pollutant, and Regulation subcommittees. It’s our job to be in the know on air quality issues, and we take that job seriously: Serving on these subcommittees, as well as the Air Pollution Control Advisory committee, allows us to do more than keep up with the latest on things like permits and regulations, it also gives us a seat at the decision-making table. 148 – The number of blogs we’ve published so far this year to keep you informed and up-to-date about all things air quality. 1,065 — The number of people we’ve educated (virtually and in-person) this year through webinars, college classroom presentations, and through the lending out of our air quality educational kits that were created using funds from the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund and the PA Department of Environmental Protection. 12 — The number of comments GASP staff have delivered this year on draft permits, State Implementation Plans, RACT determinations, etc. to a variety of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. We hope those numbers add up to just one simple decision: To get your credit card or checkbook out and make a donation to your friends here at GASP today. You can make a donation through our website, by sending a check to 1133 S Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 or by phone (just email our office manager Kathy at kathy@gasp-pgh.org with your phone number and the best time to contact you). Yours for Clean Air, Rachel Filippini, executive director #AirPollutionControlAdvisoryCommittee #airpollution #RACT #GivingTuesday #airquality