Click image to enlarge the chart. This past weekend of warm and muggy weather was punctuated by two air quality exceedances, according to initial data from the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). Concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) were bad enough at the Liberty air quality monitor the morning of Sunday, Aug. 9 that by 10 a.m. it was mathematically impossible to stay below Pennsylvania’s 24-hour standard. The average concentration of H2S at the Liberty monitor Sunday was 0.008 ppm. The standard is 0.005 ppm. Although many monitoring sites throughout southwestern Pennsylvania showed elevated levels of ozone, the average concentration at the South Fayette air quality monitor from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday was 0.071 ppm, exceeding the federal standard for the maximum eight-hour average. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) declared both Sunday and today, Aug. 10 as Air Quality Action Days for ozone. Air Quality Action days are issued when the air quality index (AQI) is forecast to be in the orange (unhealthy for sensitive populations) range or higher. On Air Quality Action Days, young children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema 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 air pollution by: Conserving electricity by setting the air conditioning to a higher temperature; Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips; Limiting engine idling; and Refueling cars and trucks after dusk. GASP encourages everyone to be a good neighbor and forego fires, which are prohibited on Allegheny County on Air Quality Action days. #H2S #hydrogensulfide #DEP #airqualitymonitor #AirQualityActionDay #ozone #airquality

Have you ever seen a cloud of smoke or dust in the air that appears to be coming from an industrial facility or construction site and thought to yourself, “That can’t be good…Is that even legal?” If so, welcome to the club. That combination of concern and curiosity led to local residents forming GASP more than 50 years ago. In fact, some of the same techniques developed in the 1970s to assess airborne emissions are still used today. If you would like to know more about how to assess plumes of smoke and dust as well as what you as concerned citizens can do to help regulatory agencies hold polluters accountable, please join GASP staff at 1 p.m. Aug. 12 for a presentation discussing these issues. You can register online here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Visible Emissions There are too many ways to count how pollutants enter our atmosphere. A whole host of monitoring techniques and calculations are necessary to figure out if a pollution source such as a stack with emissions or a property creating a dust storm is complying with environmental regulations. Visible emission monitoring can help answer the question. At the same time, air quality regulations and all individual facility air quality permits include limits on visible emissions. These emissions are often measured via their opacity, which can be estimated by the degree to which light transmission through the diameter of a plume is reduced. Anyone familiar with the history of the Pittsburgh region has heard stories of days long ago when the air pollution was so bad it blocked out the sun. While those days are behind us, facilities still have intermittent periods where visible emissions occur. When they do, it isn’t always immediately clear if those emissions violate local regulations or the facility’s permit. How Smoke Readers Make a Difference in Their Communities In this presentation, GASP staff will discuss some of the methods that are used to analyze visible emissions. We won’t be training you to be certified “smoke readers” but by the end of the presentation, you’ll be more familiar with the concepts, which will enable you to submit complaints using characterizations like the opacity and presence or absence of steam in a plume. You’ll also learn about some visible emissions standards and how to contact the Allegheny County Health Department or Department of Environmental Protection when you believe you’ve observed a violation. Finally, we’ll discuss information about visible emission methods and limits specific to some sites. Both local regulations and site permits are all public records. We’ll give you an overview of how to find the visible emission limits that apply specifically to facilities in your community. So please, join GASP for this important presentation. Our project manager Sue Seppi (who has been a certified smoke reader for 17 years) will lead the presentation and answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you there! Editor’s Note: Questions or concerns? Feel free to drop a line to Sue. Her email address is sue@gasp-pgh.org. #smoke #dust #airpollution #emissionsstandards #smokereading #emissions #opacity #airquality

The cost of being cute is far more than the price tag on that piece of clothing you’ve had your eye on. There’s also an air pollution price to pay. In the United States, the number of garments purchased by Americans has tripled since the 1970s. Globally, more than 80 billion items of clothing are purchased each year – the majority of which will be thrown in the trash. All that waste adds up: The World Resources Institute estimates that the so-called “fast fashion” industry annually releases about 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. What is “Fast Fashion” The term “fast fashion” refers to an approach to clothing design, creation, and marketing that emphasizes getting the newest trends from catwalks to consumers as quickly – and cheaply – as possible. But the environmental toll is high: Experts estimate that the fast fashion industry is responsible for nearly 10 percent of annual global emissions. It is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply. And that’s to say nothing of the dyes and other chemicals used during the production of those clothes. Fast Fashion’s Air Quality Impact by the Numbers Not only has clothing production almost doubled in the last 20 years, but people are only keeping those items for half as long – creating a ton of waste. How much waste? A staggering 85 percent of textiles go to the dump each year. In fact, the equivalent of one garbage truck of clothing is burned or dumped in a landfill every second. The Alliance for Sustainable Fashion said if the current trajectory continues, the industry’s share of annual carbon emissions will soar to 26 percent by 2050. How YOU Can Make a Difference The best way to combat fashion-related waste and pollution is to change your buying habits. Here are six ways you can reduce the carbon footprint of your clothing: Don’t be so quick to toss clothes out – if possible, mend or repair clothing instead of buying new. To ensure your clothing lasts longer, be sure to launder on lower temperatures and line dry when you can. If you must buy new clothing, select garments that are well-made and avoid synthetic materials like polyester, which releases nearly three times more carbon emissions than cotton. Check out local thrift, vintage, and consignment shops for new-to-you clothes. Donate, donate, donate! There are a ton of places that accept gently used clothing. And if your clothes are beyond repair, don’t toss them out – even stained or ripped garments can be recycled. Known as textile recycling, these otherwise unwearable clothing items are collected and made into other products. Locally, the University of Pittsburgh now has a number of locations to collect textiles. You can read more about that on the Pitt Sustainability website. Support companies that champion sustainability efforts. Before you make your next purchase, do some research: Does your favorite clothing company take sustainability seriously? If not, shop elsewhere. Local Places to Donate, Shop Whether you’re looking to buy something new to you, or donate something you can no longer use, there are many local resources. Here are a few to consider: Dress for Success Pittsburgh East End Community Thrift Goodwill Red, White & Blue Thrift Store Salvation Army St. Vincent de Paul Society Or check out one of these local sustainable designers/shops. To learn more about clothes recycling opportunities, check out these organizations and programs: Blue Jeans Turn Green Project The Bra Recyclers Council for Textile Recycling Secondary Materials for Recycled Textiles Zero Waste Box Editor’s Note: Want to learn more about how fast fashion impacts our environment and how you can make a difference by changing your wardrobe choices? Then join us for our upcoming Making the Connection: Fast Fashion & the Environment event. The online event is slated from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4. Learn more and register here. #sustainablestyle #airpollution #emissions #fastfashion #airquality #carbondioxide

Fashion isn’t cheap – the environmental costs are astounding. The fashion industry is a pollution powerhouse, fouling our air and water. But we can lessen the impact that our wardrobes have on the world around us by being eco-conscious consumers. For some, that might mean shopping vintage and second-hand shops for new-to-you clothing. For others, it might mean giving a fresh take on an old garment through the magic of upcycling. Fortunately, the Pittsburgh area is blessed with many forward-thinking fashionistas who prioritize sustainability and offer local folks a greener way to shop. The next time you’re in the market for clothing, consider supporting one of these local designers and shops: Calligramme Pittsburgh-based Etsy shop Calligramme is a specialty lingerie boutique founded by local gal Marissa Vogel. Calligramme offers domestically manufactured lingerie as well as lingerie and loungewear customization services. “Our American made mission cuts down on environmental distress caused by overseas shipping and production while also creating skilled employment (opportunities) for U.S. workers. Offering small-batch and custom designs means that most of our pieces are made-to-order and less likely to end up in a landfill than the fast-fashion, over-produced pieces you tend to see in big-box retailers,” Vogel explained. The shop carries hundreds of unique vintage loungewear pieces that she says “transcend time.” “In the continuum of sustainable ways of shopping, vintage should be near the front (with domestic manufacturing right at its heels),” Vogel said on social media. “It is the total opposite of throwaway fashion, being rare, coveted, and re-sellable. Giving a new life to old clothes also eradicates the need to produce virgin fibers, dye, or finish fabrics which are all processes with enormously dubious environmental (oil-based petroleum) and human impacts (factories with low standards of ethics).” You can check out her work on Instagram and shop her collection online. Flux Bene At Flux Bene, the focus is always on sustainability. The brand prides itself on zero-waste design, and produces clothing that are more than just stylish: They are also functional and durable. All pieces are cut and stitched by independent seamstresses who “reimagine” both existing garments and upcycled raw materials. “The use of hand-dyeing techniques combined with up-cycled materials ensures that each Flux Bene piece is one-of-a-kind. The line is zero-waste & gender-neutral,” the Flux Bene website indicates. Did we mention that 100 percent of both the design and production work takes place right here in Pittsburgh? You can learn more about Flex Bene on its website and check them out on Instagram. Idia’Dega Meet Idia’Dega, a global eco-design collaboration of Maasai, Oneida, and African-American women designers and artisans headquartered right here in Pittsburgh. Founded by Tereneh Idia, a former professor at Parsons and visiting scholar at Yale-NUS, the company’s specialty is elegant, ethical apparel. Her team is composed of women artisans from around the country, and their pieces incorporate indigenous adornments and traditional textile arts with a sustainable design. Idia’Dega offers everything from formal options like suits and dresses to casual, upcycled T-shirts that have been hand-painted. You can learn more about Idia’Dega on its website, and follow the company on Instagram. Kelly Lane Kelly Lane Designs was founded in 2006 by the Lawrenceville native, who creates Bauhaus-inspired, eco-conscious clothing and accessories for men, women, and children. Her colorful designs are made locally from organic fabrics. The Kelly Lane Designs website reads: “Kelly’s new vision for her brand is re-imagined as a lesson in creative constraints. “How can I create better with less?” From selecting materials, finishes, and packaging to developing her designs, this is the question that guides her process from start to finish.” Kelly Lane has an entire webpage that expounds on the shop’s sustainable practices, which include everything from using water-based inks and low-impact dyes to donating scrap fabric to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. The designer has also launched what she is calling The Remnant Lab. The goal? To transform the scrap pieces of fabric from designs that would otherwise be thrown in the trash into new products. You can read more about the project, which is seeking collaborators, online. You can learn more about Kelly Lane Designs on her website, or follow her on Instagram. Knotzland Bowtie Co. Homewood-based Knotzland Bowtie Co. has a sustainable design approach that it says is a win for partners, customers, and the environment. The company’s specialty? Extending the life of fabrics and textiles that already exist. “We take the best in textile discards and reuse it to create stylish accessories that everyone loves! – Bowties. In doing this, we are vastly reducing the disposal of fabrics that may otherwise be deemed unusable and ultimately end up laying around and polluting our environment,” founded Nisha Blackwell explained on her website. To date, Knotzland has rescued more than 1,700 pounds of textile waste – with more than 1,000 of it (and counting) already “on the necks of our amazing customers!” Blackwell’s newest designs? Double-sided cloth face masks for customers who want a stylish (and sustainable) way to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. Founded in 2015, Knotzland’s vision is just the first step: “Knotzland aims to build a powerhouse up-cycling business with goals of creating an ecosystem that supports people and the environment all while using items that already exist in the Universe. “ You can learn more about Knotzland Bowtie Co. on its website, and follow them on Instagram. Mossy Lane Mossy Lane Products’ inspiration? Founder Elaine Tierney’s mother, who used to tell her, “It doesn’t pay to buy junk!” Why buy clothing designed to wear out, forcing you to buy more and support the fast-fashion industry wreaking havoc on the environment? That notion inspired Tierney to create a clothing company that specializes in high-quality, one-of-a-kind, handmade designs – fashion to last a lifetime. You can learn more about Mossy Lane Products on its website or follow the company on Instagram. ruhling // woven Looking for some ‘90s fashion goodness? Maybe an ‘80s art deco piece for your living room? At ruhling // woven, you can buy second-hand, small-batch fashion and home goods. The brick-and-mortar boutique in Lawrenceville was founded in 2018 by sustainable stylist Kathleen Fanto, who describes her shop’s offerings as being, “artful apparel + objects inspired by shape + color stories.” You can learn more about ruhling // woven on its website, and follow them on Instagram. Sofiya Mozley Pittsburgh-based high-end fashion designer Sofiya Mozley writes on her website that her pieces, while contemporary, “are also tied into the hope for a sustainable way of life.” Her designs have been seen everywhere from the runways of Paris to right here in her hometown, where she is currently sewing masks to help people stop the spread of COVID-19 (masks that are, in some cases, being crafted from her leftover fabric scraps). You can find more information about her work on her website and Facebook page. Three Pigs Vintage At Three Pigs Vintage, you’re not just buying a piece of clothing – you’re purchasing a piece of art. Their upcycled styles are one of a kind, with each hand-painted and reworked item produced in the artist’s home studio. “Immersed in inspirations from the 60s-00s, we combine the art of vintage fashion with our expertise in other forms. From painting and photography to set, make-up, and fashion design, each piece is carefully curated, perfected, and styled within the playful world of our surreal, industrial-glam fantasies,” the shop’s website explains. You can learn more about Three Pigs Vintage on its website and check out their work on Instagram. Editor’s Note: Is your favorite local sustainable designer or shop not listed? Email amanda@gasp-pgh.org to have it added. Interested in learning more about the environmental impacts associated with the fashion industry? Wondering what you can do as a consumer to stave off clothing waste that fouls our air and water? Then join GASP for its Making the Connection: Fast Fashion & the Environment event slated from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4. The online discussion will feature local sustainability leaders and fashionistas who champion upcycling and prioritize sustainable design. The event is free and registration can be completed online. #Calligramme #airpollution #ruhlingwoven #MossyLane #KnotzlandBowtieCo #sustainablefashion #fastfashion #SofiyaMozley #IdiaDega

Kopp Glass Inc. on July 1 appealed an Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) determination that one of its pot furnaces is subject to National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for glass manufacturing area sources. Formerly known as Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass and Glass Company, Kopp Glass is permitted as a minor source (which excludes the requirement of raw material information) and has two baghouses for material handling and the painting-finishing booth. The 100-year-old facility in Swissvale manufactures high-performance technical glass for the aerospace, defense, and other industries. In Kopp Glass’s appeal, it argued that NESHAP compliance “was not designed for operations like Kopp and could require Kopp to cease operations from Pot Furnace #2.” Further, Kopp Glass alleges that ACHD “failed to adequately and appropriately assess whether it is technically and economically feasible for Kopp to comply.” Kopp is asking ACHD to revoke or vacate the determination. By way of background: The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (or HAP) are also referred to as NESHAP. The NESHAP for glass manufacturing area sources applies to any glass manufacturing plant that is an area source of hazardous air pollutants emissions and operates one or more continuous furnaces which produce at least 45 megagrams a year or 50 tons per year of glass per furnace by melting a mixture of raw materials that includes compounds of one or more of the glass manufacturing metal HAPs. You can read the appeal on the ACHD website. You can read more about NESHAP on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. #KoppGlass #NationalEmissionsStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD

Watchdog work is a cornerstone of what we do here at GASP, and part of that involves keeping a watchful eye on both sources of industrial air pollution and the public officials charged with regulating them. As part of this effort, we have been tracking a backlog for new and renewed operating permits for major sources of air pollution in both Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Southwest Regional Office since 2016. But let’s step back for a minute to explain a couple of things before we get too much further: In Allegheny County, air pollution sources are regulated by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). In the rest of Pennsylvania (at least outside of Philadelphia County), air pollution sources are regulated by DEP, through its six regional offices. Operating permits for major sources of air pollution are required by Title V of the Clean Air Act, and are commonly called “Title V Operating Permits.” A major source of air pollution must apply for a Title V Operating Permit once it begins normal operations. That Title V Operating Permit is good for five years, and sources must apply to renew their Title V Operating Permits before their old permits expire. The Clean Air Act, Pennsylvania’s air pollution control regulations, and Allegheny County’s air pollution control regulations all require that the agency responsible for issuing Title V Operating Permits complete its review of any complete permit application within 18 months. The Clean Air Act also requires that the operations of the state and local programs that administer Title V Operating Permits be funded entirely from the emission and permit fees paid by the sources that are subject to the requirements of Title V. You can read our 2016 and 2018 findings on our blog. We updated that research again in April 2019, following a proposal by Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board to amend the fee schedule for permits issued by DEP’s Air Quality Program. To the extent that permitting backlogs exist at DEP or ACHD (which uses a fee schedule similar to DEP’s), it stands to reason that the fees used to fund the permitting programs might be inadequate to serve their purpose. Here’s what the permit backlogs at ACHD and DEP’s regional offices looked like in 2018 and 2019:Agency or OfficeNumber of Major Sources 2018/2019Number of Major Sources with Backlogged or Unissued Title V Operating Permits 2018/2019Percentage of Major Sources with Backlogged Title V Operating Permits 2018/2019ACHD27/278/730%/26%DEP SWRO71/6114/1520%/25%DEP NWRO61/733/55%/7%DEP NCRO65/630/00%/0%DEP SCRO135/1251/1<1%/<1%DEP NERO69/629/313%/5%DEP SERO94/942/22%/2% Despite the permitting backlogs, the Environmental Quality Board’s proposed amendments to the fee schedule for DEP’s Air Quality Program were not approved by Pennsylvania’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission (the IRRC).  That means the fee schedule for DEP’s Air Quality Program has not been revised. However, ACHD’s fee schedule is not subject to review by the IRRC and in fact, the Allegheny County Board of Health approved revising existing permit fees and establishing new permit fees at a meeting in May 2020; that revised fee schedule awaits final approval by the Allegheny County Council. We updated our research on the backlogs again this year, to see whether they grew following the IRRC’s rejection of the proposed fee increases. Here’s what we found. There are now 26 major sources in Allegheny County. Two of those facilities have never been issued Title V Operating Permits – Allegheny Ludlum’s Brackenridge Works (also known as ATI) and Eastman Chemical. Further, ACHD has failed to act on renewal applications for four of those facilities within 18 months as its regulations require:FACILITYLOCATIONRenewal Application SubmittedLast Permit ExpiredSunoco Pittsburgh TerminalPittsburgh12/30/20156/30/2016U.S. Steel Clairton Plant Clairton9/26/20163/26/2017Bellefield BoilerPittsburgh6/15/201812/18/2018University of PittsburghPittsburgh6/19/201812/19/2018 When we first looked at ACHD’s Title V backlog in 2016, 11 of the then-27 major sources in Allegheny County had either never been issued a Title V Operating Permit or had an application to renew such a permit pending for more than 18 months (with some applications pending for as many as eight years). ACHD deserves some credit for the work it has done to reduce the number of backlogged major sources, even though it has a significant amount of work still to do. For purposes of air quality permitting, DEP’s Southwest Region now includes sources in Beaver, Cambria, Greene, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. Responsibility for administering the Title V permitting program for sources in Armstrong and Indiana Counties was transferred from the Southwest Region to DEP’s Northwest Region in early 2019. We currently count 49 major sources in the reduced-size Southwest Region, with nine of those sources having renewal applications for operating permits that have been pending for more than 18 months.  FACILITYLOCATIONRenewal Application SubmittedLast Permit ExpiredArden LandfillChartiers Twp., Washington County11/7/2005; 9/18/20155/7/2006Consolidated Coal Bailey Prep PlantRichhill Twp., Greene County5/25/2006; 1/29/201411/28/2006Ebensburg Power Co.Cambria Twp., Cambria County8/17/20062/19/2007Allegheny Valley Connector LLC Laurel Ridge StationJackson Twp., Cambria County5/11/2007; 1/2/20141/14/2008Equitrans Pratt Compressor StationFranklin Twp., Greene County4/19/201610/20/2016Latrobe Specialty MetalsLatrobe, Westmoreland County7/3/20171/4/2018Dynergy Fayette IIGerman Twp., Fayette County6/19/20171/30/2018Hydro Carbide, IncLatrobe, Westmoreland County5/6/1811/15/18Mostoller Municipal LandfillSomerset Twp., Somerset County10/16/186/26/19 DEP’s Northwest Region (NWRO) now includes Armstrong and Indiana Counties for Title V permitting purposes, as well as Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, and Venango Counties. We count 70 active major sources of air pollution in the Northwest Region. Three of those 70 facilities have had renewal applications for their Title V Operating Permits pending for more than 18 months:FacilityLocationPermit Application SubmittedLast Permit ExpiredArmstrong Power, LLCSouth Bend Twp., Armstrong County3/14/2014; 2/26/20159/29/2014Homer City GenerationCenter Twp., Indiana County5/4/201711/16/2017Seward Generating StationEast Wheatfield Twp., Indiana County7/3/20172/11/2018 It is worth noting that each of those three sources were among those transferred from the Southwest Region in early 2019. DEP’s Northcentral Region (NCRO) includes Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union Counties.  We counted 57 major sources of air pollution in the Northcentral Region. None of them have a renewal application that has been pending for more than 18 months and all sites in the region either have a current Title V Operating Permit, or submitted an application for a renewal within the last 18 months. DEP’s Southcentral Region (SCRO) includes Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York Counties. We counted 102 active major source of air pollution in these counties, none of which has had a renewal application for a Title V Operating Permit pending for more than eighteen months. All major sources in DEP’s Southcentral Region either have a current Title V Operating Permit or submitted a renewal application within the last 18 months. DEP’s Northeast Region (NERO) includes Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuykill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties.  We counted sixty active major sources of air pollution in those counties, two of which have had applications for their Title V Operating Permits pending for at least 18 months: FacilityLocationPermit Application SubmittedLast Permit ExpiredIngenco Wholesale PowerPine Grove Twp., Schuykill County2/23/201511/19/2015American Zinc RecyclingPalmerton Boro, Carbon County9/25/20183/25/2019 DEP’s Southeast Region (SERO) includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties for purposes of permitting sources of air pollution (Philadelphia’s Air Management Services administers the Title V permitting program for facilities located in Philadelphia). We counted 89 active major sources of air pollution in the Southeast Region, one of which have had renewal applications for Title V Operating Permits pending for more than 18 months:FacilityLocationPermit Application SubmittedLast Permit ExpiredMonroe Energy Trainer RefineryMarcus Hook Boro, Delaware County8/3/201812/27/2018 This chart summarizes the performance of all the regions discussed above, as well as the performance of ACHD and DEP’s Southwest Region as discussed in our earlier blogs:Agency or Regional OfficeNumber of Major Sources 2018/2019/2020Number of Major Sources with Backlogged or Unissued Title V Operating Permits 2018/2019/2020Percentage of Major Sources with Backlogged Title V Operating Permits 2018/2019/2020ACHD27/27/268/7/630%/26%/23%SWRO71/61/4914/15/920%/25%/18%NWRO61/73/703/5/35%/7%/4%NCRO65/63/570/0/00%/0%/0%SCRO135/125/1021/1/0<1%/<1%/0%NERO69/62/609/3/213%/5%/3%SERO94/94/892/2/12%/2%/1% Thus, in the last year, the regulatory agencies have succeeded in shrinking, and in two cases eliminating, their Title V permit backlogs, despite no increases in the Title V permitting and emissions fees. “The good news is that even without increased fees, ACHD and all six of DEP’s regional offices managed to shrink the size of their Title V permit backlogs. Two of DEP’s regional offices even managed to eliminate their backlogs entirely,” senior staff attorney John Baillie said. “The bad news is that significant permit backlogs still exist at both ACHD and DEP’s Southwest Regional Office.” “Additionally, the need to increase fees is still critical as they impact the local and state’s program’s ability to effectively conduct inspections, respond to complaints, and pursue enforcement actions, when necessary,” he added. #DepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection #MajorSources #airpollution #TitleV #CleanAirAct #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #TitleVPermit #DEP #AirQualityProgram #backlog #ACHD #airquality

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on June 4 to clarify that the dust complaint against Heights Plaza Materials, Springhill Road LLC and ABC occurred in February 2020. The originally published version included an incorrect date. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) last week issued two Enforcement Orders, one dealing with asbestos abatement and the other regarding dust mitigation. Here’s what you need to know: ACHD on May 26 issued an enforcement order to Pittsburgh-based Noralco Corp. for violating Allegheny County’s Air Pollution Control Regulations (Article XXI) by failing to submit a required asbestos survey before demolishing a commercial structure located at 2225 Smallman Street. ACHD said the company, which was issued a demolition permit on Aug. 29, 2019, also failed to submit a required asbestos abatement demolition form. ACHD has ordered the company to submit those documents or face a possible $25,000-a-day civil penalty. Noralco has 30 days from the date of the violation to appeal the order. ACHD on May 26 also issued an enforcement order to three companies over fugitive dust emissions emanating from a partially graveled access road connecting their property to Springhill Road in Harrison Township. An ACHD representative observed dust after responding to a complaint on Feb. 24, 2020. In the order, ACHD mandated that three businesses that exclusively access that road – Heights Plaza Materials, Springhill Road LLC, and ABC Transit – submit a dust-control compliance plan detailing what each entity will do to mitigate fugitive emissions. If the companies do not comply they could face a potential $25,000-a-day civil penalty. They have 30 days from the date of the notice to appeal. As reported last week, ACHD also issued a Demand for Stipulated Penalties totaling more than $361,000 to U.S. Steel for violations in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 of a Settlement Agreement between the parties. #enforcementorder #USSteel #Noralco #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ArticleXXI #demandforstipulatedpenalties #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks

Editor’s Note: An Allegheny County Health Department spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that the Lawrenceville PM2.5 monitor is back online following repair. We updated the headline of this story at 3:16 p.m. June 3 to reflect this new information. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Monday confirmed that the Lawrenceville monitor site is undergoing maintenance and that spiking AQI values showing on its air quality dashboard are not accurate. An ACHD spokesman said the department is working to add a note of clarification to the dashboard to make users aware of the issue. By way of background: The Lawrenceville monitor has been producing erratic data intermittently for some time.  As far back as the Christmas 2019 bad air episode, ACHD has taken it offline or deleted blocks of data after initial quality assurance review. Both PM10 and PM2.5 monitors were entirely offline April 27 – May 11 for repairs. GASP is following the issue and will let you know when repairs are complete. #ACHD #airquality #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #PM25

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) on Wednesday delivered public comments at the Allegheny County Board of Health meeting to share its support for a funding request for more than $350,000 in new air monitoring equipment—one that was subsequently approved. GASP also reiterated its request that the Allegheny County Health Department seek an EPA grant that would help officials better monitor air toxics such as benzene and manganese. Here are our full comments: Good afternoon, my name is Suzanne Seppi, Project Director at Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP). I am presenting these comments for Rachel Filippini, Executive Director of GASP as she is unable to be here today.GASP supports the County Air Program’s request to use Clean Air Funds for air monitoring equipment. It is critical that the County have the resources in place to quickly provide backup, replacement, and additional EPA approved monitors when the need arises like it did last year following the fire at the Clairton Coke Works. We were pleased to see in the proposal that some funding would go towards the purchase of lower-cost or portable monitors for short-term studies as well as additional equipment that could assist in visible emission enforcement.The collection of data is critical but while the department does publish in a timely manner the data for some pollutants for example PM2.5, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, it does not do so for benzene monitoring data.ACHD’s benzene monitoring method does not provide real-time results; laboratory analysis is required. But even when the analysis is complete, the Department does not publish benzene monitoring results on its website. This means members of the public who wish to review that information must formally request it through the County’s website. More troubling is that the time for benzene data delivery from the lab to ACHD often involves months of delay. Equally concerning is that benzene is not monitored every day at the Liberty Monitor. ACHD only samples for benzene from midnight to midnight every third day.ACHD may be able to improve this situation by applying for an EPA Air Toxics Monitoring Grant. The EPA is looking to fund projects that characterize the impacts of air toxics in a community and/or that assess the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources. We believe it would behoove the air program to take advantage of this funding opportunity, the deadline is quickly approaching. With this funding, ACHD could for instance engage in the robust and comprehensive kind of benzene monitoring that the PA DEP is doing around the now shuttered Erie Coke Corporation.2There could also be an opportunity for more comprehensive monitoring of manganese, a toxic heavy metal associated with steel-making. ACHD already monitors for manganese at McConway & Torley in Lawrenceville. Since U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works emitted approximately 200 times more manganese than McConway & Torley, it would make sense for the department to monitor around the E.T. facility as well.These are just two concrete examples of how the Health Department could take advantage of this tremendous grant opportunity to more robustly monitor air pollution locally. The pollutants we are talking about are a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. Having a better handle on the sources and processes creating them and then, in turn, working to reduce them is the kind of work the community expects from the Air Quality Program. Thank you. Seppi also noted that GASP looked forward to working with ACHD’s new director, Dr. Debora Bogen, who had been named as Dr. Karen Hacker’s successor earlier in the day. #airtoxicsmonitoring #benzene #AlleghenyCountyBoardofHealth #AlleghenyCountyHealthDeparmtne #DrDebraBogen #ACHD #manganese

The Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitor in Liberty AGAIN registered the worst air quality in the nation Monday morning. AirNow.gov reported that the area had an AQI in the red, meaning everyone in the area “may begin to experience health effects” and that “members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.” The Health Department’s air quality dashboard indicates that AQI in the Liberty-Clairton area reached the orange, unhealthy-for-sensitive-populations range at midnight. It entered the red range at 2 a.m. and peaked at 166 two hours later. It remained in the red at the time of publication. While ACHD regularly issues air dispersion reports, the last one published on the department’s website was dated Feb. 14, meaning it is unclear at present how long the poor air quality will last. Air pollution near Clairton Coke Works isn’t a weather-related anomaly—it’s a year-round issue impacting the day-to-day lives of local residents. The concentration of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) at the Liberty monitor exceeded the state’s 24-hour average air quality standard 46 times last year. It averaged 0.017 ppm from midnight through 8 a.m. Monday, which means it is mathematically impossible to have a 24-hr average below the 0.005 ppm standard again today. ACHD committed to revising the county’s coke oven regulations nearly two years ago, yet we are still waiting. “It’s well past time ACHD prioritize strengthening the county’s coke-oven regulations,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “How many more exceedances do there need to be before this is put on the front burner? Residents are suffering now, and need swift action from ACHD now because we all deserve clean air and it’s ultimately up to them to make that happen.” #cokeovenregulations #AQI #airpollution #LibertyClairton #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #Clairton #airquality