By Amanda Gillooly, GASP communications manager I’ve got a confession to make: The hard sciences aren’t really in my wheelhouse. Chemistry. Physics. Basically, anything that deals with taking measurements or understanding spacial relations. Not my thing, man. I’m but a humble writer. So, when my boss here at GASP asked if I’d like to attend a training event that would teach me how to properly label smokestack emissions from the Clairton Coke Works, my immediate thought was, “I’m probably not the best candidate.” Then she told me the end goal: That these volunteers would actually be helping to train artificial intelligence to detect industrial smoke pollution automatically. In my head, there was a record screech. “I’m totally gonna bring down the curve,” I thought. But I was willing to give it the old college try. So that night, I joined a few other volunteers and our friends from Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab, which developed the tool and would be conducting the training. The developer told us where to log in, and made some introductory remarks. He reiterated that we would be seeing video clips that depicted emissions from various industrial sources. He explained that the big issue is discerning whether the plumes are steam or smoke. He added that it would take about 300 hours to amass enough correctly labeled smoke videos to train AI to automatically identify it. It took all of five minutes for me to blurt out, “What if I just don’t get it and label steam as smoke. Won’t I actually be doing a disservice to this whole endeavor?” That’s when the friendly (and really, really smart) folks at the CREATE Lab told me about safeguards set up for this very reason. They assured me that people who incorrectly label enough videos would be asked to go through prompts providing additional instruction. “Don’t worry,” Ana said. “I have complete confidence that you will be able to do this.” That made exactly one of us. But heartened with the knowledge that I wasn’t gonna mess the whole thing up, I began labeling videos. And immediately screwed up enough that the system politely suggested that I take the tutorial again. “Naturally,” I thought as I scrolled through the additional instructions, only to incorrectly label a bunch more videos. This is the point that I would normally want to flip a proverbial table. But let me tell you: The young man who developed the program, Yen-Chia Hsu, truly created a stellar tutorial—one that congratulates you when you get something right, and explains in a friendly, helpful way what you got wrong. After trying and failing and trying again, I was successfully able to label smoke for the next hour or so. My point is: If I can do it, you can do it. And you can do it from your phone, or tablet, or laptop. At your own convenience. And in your own home. “Even if people did it for 10 minutes a day, it would be a huge help,” Yen-Chia said. By this point, I hope you’re telling yourself, “Sounds like a pretty easy way to make a difference. I’m into it – so sign me up.” If so, here’s the link – go check it out and start smoke reading today. #ClairtonCokeWorks #CREATELab #YenChiaHsu

Over the past few months, GASP has collected hundreds of signatures for our petition urging the Allegheny County Health Department to take action to achieve the hydrogen sulfide standard. For those who might be unfamiliar: Hydrogen sulfide—or H2S—is a colorless, flammable gas with a distinct rotten-egg odor. Coke-making is a primary source of hydrogen sulfide in the county, where U.S. Steel is the largest emitter. More than a year ago, ACHD committed to revising the county’s coke-oven regulations as a way to reduce H2S, but to date those revisions have not gone out for public comment. GASP will soon be presenting our petition to ACHD (more on that soon!), and renewing our call for both achieving the H2S standard (which is violated about 50 times a year on average) AND strengthening coke-oven regulations. In the meantime, we need your help spreading the word: We’ll be closing our petition soon, so if you haven’t signed it, please do! If you already affixed your signature, please consider sharing it with like-minded friends via email or social media. Sign it here. #HydrogenSulfideStandard #H2S #hydrogensulfide #petition #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) on Thursday joined Penn Environment downtown for a press conference unveiling the environmental nonprofit’s new report, which documents how decades of poor enforcement of air quality rules by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) “enabled industrial facilities to pollute the region’s air.” PennEnvironment Field Organizer Zachary Barber said the report titled, “Cutting Through the Smoke,” found that ACHD has enabled pollution through slow permitting and weak enforcement. The report comes in the wake of the departure of ACHD Director Karen Hacker, and makes recommendations for how the incoming director can improve enforcement techniques and “in turn better protect residents from dangerous air pollution.” “When ACHD finds a health problem at a restaurant, it shuts the restaurant down. Yet for decades, ACHD allowed polluters to go right on harming our health,” Barber said. “There are simple, time-tested enforcement practices used across the country that, if implemented in Allegheny County, could go a long way towards reining in dangerous pollution.” Here are some of the report’s key findings: ACHD allowed major polluters to operate without required pollution permits. Of the 32 industrial facilities in Allegheny County required to hold federally required operating permits, one out of three have either been running with an outdated and expired pollution permit or have never been issued the required pollution permit in the first place. Clean Air Act permits are the first steps in protecting the public from pollution, providing critical tools for enforcement and transparency. ACHD favored weak enforcement actions and polluter-friendly legal settlements, which failed to halt illegal air pollution. Many violations continued even after repeated enforcement efforts from ACHD. ACHD took more than 80 formal and informal enforcement actions against U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works over the last 30 years (an average of 2.7 per year), but the facility continues to illegally pollute on a regular basis. Harsco Metals continues to illegally blanket the surrounding community in dust a decade after the Health Department’s first attempt to clean it up. Some signs of improvement. ACHD has made recent steps toward a tougher approach to enforcement, increasing penalties for illegal pollution and moving away from voluntary settlements. The department’s $2.7 million penalty against U.S. Steel and its willingness to consider shutdown of coke making at Clairton Works after a recent fire that knocked out pollution control equipment are among several recent steps to increase accountability for polluters. As a result of its report, Penn Environment implored ACHD to implement a series of best practices for the enforcement of clean air laws, including: Issue timely, health-based Clean Air Act permits and clear its backlog. Pursue aggressive enforcement action to ensure industrial facilities don’t “pay to pollute.” Expand air quality monitoring, deploying more monitors around major sources to better track emissions. Partner with public, advocacy groups, technical experts and other government agencies to bring extra resources to bear in the fight for clean air. GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini echoed many of PennEnvironment’s concerns, and called for change. “In the past, ACHD officials have been too quick to settle with repeat industrial polluters, and the fines issued don’t appear to deter future—and in some instances, ongoing—violations,” Filippini said. “If we ever hope to move off the ‘worst air quality lists’ that our county is so used to being featured on, then we must ensure industry gets the message that polluting is both financially and politically untenable here. We hope the incoming director of the Allegheny County Health Department takes an aggressive approach to enforcement; one that tells potential polluters, ‘Not on my watch.’” PennEnvironment’s “Cutting Through the Smoke” can be viewed in its entirety on the nonprofit’s website. #airpollution #GASP #RachelFilippini #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #PennEnvironment #airquality

Mark your calendars because U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-18th District, is hosting a Climate Change Town Hall this month, giving local folks the opportunity to weigh in on this important issue. The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and will feature two panels of experts to discuss solutions to address climate change. “I will provide an update on action to address climate change at the federal level, and there will be an opportunity for members of the audience to ask questions. I look forward to an interesting and informative event, and I hope to see you there,” Doyle said in a Facebook message announcing the town hall. A list of speakers has not yet been finalized—we will keep you posted as more details become available. In the meantime, Doyle asked those with questions to direct them to his office at 202-225-2135. #ClimateChange

The Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday posted three Notice of Violation letters it issued to Erie Coke Corp. The letters are dated July 25, and address violations of air quality regulations that occurred on July 8, July 9, and July 12. According to the letters: Visible fugitive air contaminants of greater than 20 percent opacity were observed escaping from the coke-side shed. DEP noted that the violation was made during an inspection July 8. Then on July 9, DEP inspectors observed fugitive particulate matter emissions visible outside Erie Coke’s property. On July 12, visible fugitive air contaminants greater than 20 percent opacity were observed escaping from the coke-side shed. The notice of violation letters come in the wake of hearings before both the state Environmental Hearing Board and the Court of Common pleas. The EHB case addresses the company’s appeal of DEP’s July 1 notice that it would be denying ECC’s Title V operating permit following what the department deemed ongoing air emissions compliance issues. In the Common Pleas case, the DEP is seeking closure of the plant. More information on those legal battles can be found here. Editor’s Note: Several news outlets have now filed stories about these newest Notice of Violation letters. Here are the associated links: DEP Issues New Violation Notices to Erie Coke, GoErie.com DEP Posts 3 More Violations Against Erie Coke, Erie News Now #TitleVoperatingpermit #noticeofviolation #ErieCokeCorp #TitleV #DEP #airquality

Erie coke The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Monday announced in a press release that it will conduct air quality sampling near the Erie Coke plant and throughout the Erie community to collect data to assess health risks to the general population. Specifically, DEP will be monitoring for compounds related to coke production, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. Thirteen monitors will be placed along the perimeter of the facility and at four locations in the community. DEP developed the sampling plan in response to concerns raised by the members of a community stakeholder group formed by the DEP, as well as several recent actions requiring Erie Coke to address numerous, ongoing violations of the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act, many of which Erie Coke has appealed and not complied with. “Erie Coke has a long history of violations that DEP continues to address. Based on the number of air quality violations, Erie Coke’s lack of intention or ability to address those violations, and the understandable concerns of the community regarding air quality, DEP is moving forward with this sampling plan,” said DEP Northwest Regional Office Director James Miller. “This facility will still have a presence in this community during the current legal proceedings and we must continue to take steps to address any environmental concerns stemming from Erie Coke.” On July 1, DEP announced that it denied Erie Coke’s application to renew its Title V operating permit and has filed a complaint for injunctive relief in Erie County Court seeking to shut down the coke production facility following years of numerous repetitive environmental violations. The case is currently before the Environmental Hearing Board. Editor’s Note: Here are some associated media links for your consideration: Citizens Meet With DEP and Erie Coke, Erie News Now DEP Has Started Air Quality Sampling at the Erie Coke Plant, YourErie.com State to Test Air Quality Near Erie Coke Plant, GoErie.com DEP to Conduct Air Quality Sampling Around Erie Coke, YourErie.com Pennsylvania DEP to Conduct Air Quality Sampling Near Erie Coke Plant, Erie News Now DEP to Conduct Air Quality Sampling Around Erie Coke (Coal) Plant, PA Environment Digest Blog #ErieCoke #benzene #airmonitoring #DEP #airquality

U.S. Steel this week filed its answers and affirmative defenses to a federal citizens lawsuit filed against it in April in U.S. District Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania by the nonprofit groups Penn Environment and Clean Air Council for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. In June, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) successfully moved to intervene in the case. In legal documents filed Tuesday, attorneys for U.S. Steel asked the court to enter the judgment in the company’s favor, along with court costs and other “further relief as this court deems appropriate. In its answers, U.S. Steel is clear in its denial of the allegations set forth in the suit, and further stated that it denied, “that individuals who live or rent property near its Clairton, Edgar Thomson, and Irvin Plants were adversely affected by alleged illegal pollutant emissions from the plants.” Attorneys for the multi-billion international steel-making company raised a number of issues, alleging among other things that: Penn Environment and Clean Air Council failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. That the two environmental agencies “lack capacity to sue of the requisite standing” to pursue the claims made in the lawsuit. That the two environmental groups’ 60-day notice of their intent to sue was “inadequate” and did not comply with federal requirements. That the complaint should be barred because it is “based on emergency conditions or conditions outside of U.S. Steel’s reasonable control.” That the complaint should be barred because it is “based on the terms of prior orders that are applicable to U.S. Steel and it’s Mon Valley Works facilities” and because they are also based on “the terms of the applicable permits, SIP, and local, state and federal regulations. That ACHD has no statutory or regulatory basis for its claims under federal statute or its own rules and regulations. Need a refresher on what claims Penn Environment, Clean Air Council, and ACHD raised in the suit? GASP wrote about the suit and its allegations, and also about Allegheny County’s successful motion to intervene. Editor’s Note: You can read U.S. Steel’s answers to the lawsuit here and here. Coverage from the Pittsburgh Business Times can be accessed here. Coverage from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Don Hopey can be viewed here. #USSteel #CleanAirCouncil #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #PennEnvironment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks

Members of the Allegheny County Board of Health on Wednesday lauded the accomplishments of outgoing department director Dr. Karen Hacker, who they called “a tough act to follow.” Hacker, they said, “engaged the community in ways we’ve never seen before.” ACHD announced in May that Hacker was leaving her role to take a position with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), where she will serve as the director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. During the meeting – her last as director of the Allegheny County Health Department – Hacker introduced her interim successor, Deputy Director of Administration Ron Sugar, who has been with the department for five years. Hacker noted that because Sugar is not a medical doctor, Dr. Kristen Mertz will work alongside him as interim medical director until the director position can be filled. An update was also given on the national search for Hacker’s replacement. A national firm was hired to spearhead the search, and a nine-member committee, co-chaired by Board of Health member Edith Shapira, M.D. and Heinz Endowments President Grant Oliphant, was formed to oversee the process. Semifinalists for the director position are expected to be identified by September, with interviews to take place shortly thereafter. The board hopes to be in a position to hire the successful candidate by November, with the new director coming on board “as soon as possible.” In her final report, Hacker said she hoped ACHD would “continue the momentum,” and noted that the county has long suffered from what she referred to as “legacy pollution.” “We are only now starting to confront that,” she said. “There is so much more to do.” Hacker encouraged the department to “stay on it and keep moving forward” with efforts to clean up air and water pollution reduction efforts. She added that the department was preparing a Climate Change Action Plan, something she described as a “first small step.” “It’s hitting us in the face,” she said of climate change, adding that she feared the county would deal with associated health issues “reactively instead of proactively.” In other business: Air Quality Program Director Jayme Graham told the board that the department would be changing its permit fees/structure for major and minor air pollution sources. Proposed changes to the fee structure are being made to bring it in line with those of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which are being amended. The board voted to authorize the proposal to amend fee types and names for public comment. The new amounts of those fees will be presented at a future board meeting. “We are bringing in less than what we need to operate,” Graham said. Deputy Director of Environmental Health, Jim Kelly, gave an update on the department’s recent air quality enforcement actions. He noted that Metalico on Neville Island would likely be issued a Notice of Violation letter, which comes in the wake of 55 recent odor and noise complaints. More information on air pollution issues related to Metalico can be accessed here. Kelly also gave an update on ACHD’s settlement agreement with U.S. Steel, which calls for the company to pay a more than $2 million penalty and make upgrades to its pollution control systems, among other things. He noted that the settlement was put out for public comment, and that a public hearing will be held July 30 to solicit input from residents. He said the department is hopeful residents will weigh in specifically on a community fund that will be created as part of the settlement. He said the community fund, and how it will be administered, is “not well defined.” The board approved two Clean Air Fund requests. One was a $90,000 request for tree planting in county parks. The other was a $300,000 request to fund a local pediatric asthma registry. Editor’s Note: Also wanted to pass along this story from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Allegheny County Board of Health Approves $300,000 for Asthma Study, $90K for Trees. #airpollution #RonSugar #JaymeGraham #JimKelley #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #DrKarenHacker #ACHD #airquality

Photo courtesy of HECA Members of the community group Hold Erie Coke Accountable rallied alongside concerned residents Monday morning to support the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s aggressive enforcement action against Erie Coke Corp. and to “insist that they not accept a monetary payoff.” The demonstration took place outside the courthouse where lawyers for DEP and Erie Coke sparred last week over the department’s denial of the company’s air pollution operating permit application. Those proceedings continued Monday. It also comes in the wake of news that Erie Coke Corp. made a $3.1 million settlement offer to the DEP—one the department declined to accept. DEP is expected to release today a list of items that would need to be rectified prior to the authorization of any settlement with the coke-making facility. DEP and Erie Coke also appeared before the Environmental Hearing Board last week, where they argued the merits of allowing the company to continue operating while legal issues related to the department’s permit application denial and associated legal issues are hashed out. “Erie Coke has operated for years by paying small and large fines and have never fixed their systems to provide a business that is within regs for the long term,” HECA said in a written statement released Monday. “With the news of a proposal for a ‘settlement’ at Erie Coke, we all have to be alarmed and outraged.” The group said the trust has been lost between the community and the company, which they said, “shreds the idea of truthfulness and ignores the health and harms it has inflicted on the Erie community. Monday is the best day to show our support as the judge may arrive at a decision on the plant operation that day. We must hold Erie Coke accountable!” HECA leaders said while Erie Coke is publicly claiming that DEP’s denial of the operating permit “willfully ignores Erie Coke’s substantial steps toward improving compliance” the company still hasn’t substantiated those claims. The group said that Erie Coke has to date failed to: identify the root cause(s) of the air quality violations including the specific cause of the continuing opacity violations; conduct required formal engineering evaluations of air pollution-emitting equipment prior to submission; provide compliance plans, maintenance, and repair schedules of air pollution emitting equipment; submit inspection/evaluation schedules of pollution emitting equipment in accordance with their existing expired Title V Permit. “The Erie community is fed up with the smokescreen. No one at Erie Coke should be shocked by the DEP’s refusal to issue a new Title V operating permit,” they said. “HECA is concerned about Erie Coke’s publicly stated intention to invest in all the necessary repairs and maintenance to bring this plant into compliance today.” The grassroots group also noted that in Erie Coke’s appeal, the company suggested that the community must wait six months or more for the effects of their compliance initiatives to “bear fruit”—which they said is an unreasonable burden to place on a community that has been waiting for decades to be able to open their windows in the summer. “Well-maintained and properly operated air pollution controls on pollution emitting equipment has the immediate effect of reducing toxic air pollution,” HECA leaders said. “If such controls were actually implemented as they claim, Erie Coke would not have racked up an additional 41 violations since the Feb. 2 Administrative Order. Nor would 123 citizen complaints about Erie Coke’s stench have been filed with the DEP since then. “ As legal proceedings grind on, HECA took issue with arguments presented by Erie Coke attorneys. Members noted that the company completed a cancer assessment risk—not a comprehensive health assessment. Group Against Smog and Pollution Executive Director Rachel Filippini said that coke-making facilities and the pollutants they spew present numerous health risks other than cancer. “The most recent data available from DEP show that Erie Coke is the top emitter of ammonia, benzene, nitrogen oxides, PM 2.5, and sulfur oxides in Erie County,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. “These pollutants are associated with myriad health effects including asthma, heart attacks, stroke, and premature death—not just cancer. To suggest otherwise, even by omission, is irresponsible.” HECA also noted that: No information was provided in the cancer assessment report about how exactly data was collected in August and September 2016 by Erie Coke employees, which immediately raises the possibility (or likelihood) of bias in sampling. Model-selected meteorological data (“Erie surface and Buffalo upper air”) used to calculate pollution concentrations beyond the point of measurements could be unreliable. In fact, Erie Coke’s own expert witness admitted under oath that different wind data would have produced different risk assessment results. HECA said the group is awaiting information expected to be released today on what measures must be undertaken by Erie Coke to put—and keep—the company in compliance so that it permits application could be (approved?). Members, however, said, “until Erie Coke agrees to pay for independent soil and groundwater testing and to remediate their contaminated site while in operation, HECA believes (its settlement offer) is an empty gesture to the community.” Editor’s Note: Here’s associated media coverage of the rally and Monday’s hearing news for those following the issue: DEP: ‘Deplorable’ Conditions Led to Erie Coke Action, GoErie.com Erie Coke Hearing Continues, Erie News Now Inspector: June Violation at Erie at Erie Coke Plant “Alarming,” GoErie.com Erie Coke’s Environmental Director Takes Stand in Day Four of Erie Coke Hearing, YourErie.com #benzene #HoldErieCokeAccountable #ErieCokeCorp #airpollution #HECA #RachelFilippini #DEP #EnvironmentalHearingBoard #airquality

Attorneys for Erie Coke Corp. and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laid out their arguments for and against allowing the company to continue operating pending the outcome of its Title V permit denial appeal in legal filings this week in advance of its July 10 hearing. The most recent filings stem from Erie Coke Corp.’s July 3 Petition for Supersedeas, which, if granted, would allow the company to continue operating while legal issues related to DEP’s denial of its air quality operating permit – and an associated appeal – are hashed out. In the petition, the company argued that, “Unless supersedeas is granted, the denial will permanently destroy Erie Coke’s primary asset – its two batteries of coke ovens – thereby forcing Erie Coke out of business, causing the permanent loss of 137 living-wage jobs, and the Erie economy’s loss of approximately $5 million in annual payroll.” Erie Coke attorneys also asserted that the company had “already dramatically improved compliance performance since April 2019 – and that being granted supersedeas would allow “Erie Coke’s employees (to be) able to continue implementing and enhancing” compliance measures. The filing noted that the company had retained a new corporate engineering manager, new corporate environmental director, and new facility environmental manager A denial, on the other hand, would result in “immediate and irreparable harm.” Why? Erie Coke Works attorneys wrote: “Erie Coke will lack authorization for emissions from its coke facility and will, therefore, be required to stop the combustion that keeps its coke ovens hot. The resulting cooling will destroy the coke ovens. Because they are constructed of brick that is maintained at approximately 2,0000 degrees Fahrenheit operating temperature, a coke facility that is allowed to cool loses structural integrity – effectively crumbling – and it cannot thereafter be successfully restarted and operated.” On Monday, DEP filed its response, asking the EHB to deny Erie Coke’s petition. Attorneys argued that the company could “preserve the integrity of its primary asset through the use of natural gas as a fuel source while the Environmental Hearing Board addresses the merits of this appeal.” They continued: “Any harm that Erie Coke may suffer as a result of the department’s July 1, 2019 denial of (its) application to renew the permit is Erie Coke’s own making.” DEP counsel said the department notified the company as early as August 2017 and made it clear: Its Title V operating permit would not be renewed without: installation of backup desulfurization treatment and an end to the “continuing opacity violations” Attorneys for the department also took issue with Erie Coke’s self-described compliance improvement. They wrote: “It is denied that Erie Coke is making substantial efforts to comply with the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act and the expired permit. Erie Coke continues to operate in a manner that causes pollution in violation of the terms and conditions of the expired permit…Pollution has been observed off-site and has manifested itself in various areas of the City of Erie and Presque Isle Bay.” Attached to DEP’s response are affidavits from myriad residents who reference: Smoke from the facility Black soot-covered cars, boats, and houses near the facility A metallic burning odors Rotten egg odors “These odors and particles have negatively impacted the public’s use and enjoyment of Presque Isle Bay,” DEP asserted. Attorneys for the department noted that in the second quarter of 2019 alone, DEP’s opacity monitoring documented more than 3,000 minutes of violations at Erie Coke Corp. “The petition and its supporting documentation actually demonstrate that Erie Coke cannot and will not operate in accordance with the terms and conditions of its expired permit, the Air Act, and the regulations during the pendency of any supersedeas,” DEP attorneys wrote. Editor’s Note: Here’s associated media coverage from the hearing: Erie Coke Addresses Violations at Hearing, GoErie.com Erie Coke, DEP Spar Over Health Risks, GoErie.com Erie Coke Proposes $3.1 Million Settlement, GoErie.com No Decision in Erie Coke Injunction Hearing, GoErie.com DEP Turns Down $3.1 Million Settlement by Erie Coke to Fix Facility, Erie News Now New Judge to Hear Arguments on Injunction to Shut Down Erie Coke, Erie News Now #coke #ErieCokeCorp #TitleVPermit #DEP #PetitionforSupersedeas #EnvironmentalHearingBoard #airquality