The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Wednesday announced the start of its community health survey. The survey period runs through Oct. 4 and is part of the larger 2020 Community Health Assessment. A Community Health Assessment, which is conducted every five years, compiles data to best understand health issues and factors affecting the health of Allegheny County residents. In addition to the survey, CHA 2020 will include a series of focus groups and the use of a variety of existing data sources. Here’s what you need to know: This survey focuses on health equity and will be used to design a new Community Health Improvement Plan, which will outline goals and strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of all Allegheny County residents. All residents of Allegheny County older than 18 years of age are strongly encouraged to participate. By taking the survey, individuals are helping ACHD identify the key needs of Allegheny County communities. Interested? Individuals can complete the survey via this link: http://bit.ly/ACHDchs. Don’t wish to take the survey online? Paper surveys are available at the following locations: ACHD’s Administrative Offices, located at 542 Fourth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh ACHD’s Immunization Clinic, Tuberculosis Clinic, HIV/STD Clinic, Pediatric Dental Clinics and WIC locations ACHD has also partnered with local organizations that will help distribute paper versions of the survey starting this week – and GASP is among them. Other partners include: Women for a Healthy Environment Consumer Health Coalition Mon Valley Providers Council City of Pittsburgh – Mayor’s Office United Way 211 Squirrel Hill Health Center East Liberty Family Health Care Center Gateway Health The Building Block of Natrona Allegheny County Department of Human Services The Allegheny County Library Association will be joining the effort on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. They will be providing paper surveys at all 70+ libraries across Allegheny County. To find the closest library to you, visit the Allegheny County Library Association website. Both the online and paper survey are also being translated into four languages: Spanish, Nepali, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese. The Health Department will post a message on its Facebook page and issue a message via Allegheny Alerts when surveys in additional languages are available. ACHD will also use these mediums throughout the survey period to announce additional partners that join the effort and additional locations that will have paper surveys. #ACHD #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment

Editor’s Note: The below information was taken from a press release issued Monday by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in response to the recent State of the Air report. PITTSBURGH – Significant changes to the Allegheny County Health Department’s operations, policies and procedures that have allowed the agency to be more aggressive in enforcement of the federal Clean Air Act appears to be having an impact. The department’s certified data shows that 2018 was the cleanest year to date for PM 2.5 at the Liberty monitor. All other PM 2.5 monitors in the county are in compliance. “We are pleased that for the first time the PM 2.5 at the Liberty monitor has met the EPA standard. I congratulate and thank Dr. Hacker and her team for being vigilant when they saw violations occur in 2016,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “The department was more proactive, put more inspectors and environmental enforcement agents in place, instituted fines and took regulatory actions to improve the air quality in the Mon Valley.” Each year, ACHD certifies its data from the nine PM 2.5 monitors and sends it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for quality assurance. The 2018 annual value for the Liberty monitor was 11.5 mg/cm. That value is lower than the EPA standard of 12 mg/cm and below the 2017 value of 13.4 mg/cm. Likewise, the 24-hour value for PM 2.5 was 28 mg/cm, lower than the EPA standards of 35 mg/cm and below the 2017 value of 36.5 mg/cm., which results in attainment of the EPA standard based on the last three years of data. “We have worked diligently to address the issues at the Liberty monitor, and the 2018 data is showing that significant progress is being made,” said Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of the Health Department. “In addition to meteorological influences, we believe these improvements at the Liberty monitor are a result of strong enforcement actions, fines and penalties, and consequent improvements made at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works.” From 2015-2017, ACHD issued 33 violations and assessed fines of more than $2.5 million. Concerned that the violations and fines did not seem to be causing any behavior changes by polluters, the agency made a number of changes and took several actions: In late 2017, ACHD entered into a historic joint Notice of Violation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against the U.S. Steel Edgar Thompson plant for violations related to visible emissions and operation and maintenance violations. A new civil penalty policy, increasing fines to encourage deterrence, took effect Jan. 1, 2018. Inspectors were assigned on-site at coke plants in the Mon Valley to quickly identify air quality violations. The SO2 state implementation plans were updated to require significant emission reductions, and work is currently underway to finalize the PM2.5 plan to show attainment by EPA’s deadlines. The largest fines and enforcement actions in ACHD history were instituted in 2018 to the US Steel’s Clairton Coke Works – $1.6 million; the June 2018 action also would compel a “hot idle” if emissions are not reduced after six months. The legal team was expanded and ACHD left behind negotiated consents orders, instead issuing direct enforcement orders and increased civil penalties. In 2018 and 2019 to date, ACHD has issued 22 notice of violations and assessed fines of over $3.4 million. Many of those have been appealed by the polluting companies. ACHD has continued to ask industry leaders, at both the local and regional levels, to help accelerate change. Additionally, the department has asked the Legislature to provide additional tools and resources that would be helpful in improving the region’s air quality. “While these results are significant, there is still much to do to guarantee clean air for all. We must maintain vigilance and not allow U.S. Steel to back-slide,” said Hacker. “Continued improvement is paramount. We will continue to be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to improve the air in Allegheny County and call upon industry to meet all requirements and curtail violations.” The three-year annual PM 2.5 design values are used by the EPA to establish compliance. The data from 2015-2017 was used by the American Lung Association in the State of the Air Report. #noticeofviolation #USSteel #EdgarThompsonplant #emissions #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #RichFitzgerald #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #airquality

Two area environmental groups—PennEnvironment and Clean Air Council—on Monday announced that they had filed suit against U.S. Steel, which they say violated the Clean Air Act at its three Pittsburgh-area plants. These include Clairton Coke Works, the largest coke oven facility in North America. Violations occurred throughout the company’s Mon Valley Works, stemming from its decision to operate the plants for more than three months without critical pollution control equipment, according to a press release. “It is unacceptable that U.S. Steel ran these plants without essential pollution controls, claiming there was no safe alternative,” said Ashleigh Deemer, the Western PA director with PennEnvironment. “No one, including U.S. Steel, should be allowed to jeopardize our health by running what amounts to a doomsday machine with no off-switch.” The lawsuit alleges that U.S. Steel’s three facilities, located south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River, showered residents with unlawful air pollution. This pollution included emissions of sulfur dioxide (a respiratory irritant) at levels many times higher than the legal maximum.  The plants likely also emitted higher levels of volatile organic compounds such as benzene, a carcinogen. “U.S. Steel has a responsibility to remedy the harm to the community and prevent this situation from happening again,” said Christopher Ahlers, a staff attorney with Clean Air Council. The Clean Air Act citizen suit was filed April 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, following a pre-suit notice to U.S. Steel and local, state, and federal agencies on Feb. 13, 2019. The groups are seeking a court order requiring U.S. Steel to comply with its air quality permits and make changes to prevent this situation from happening again.  They are also calling for an order requiring U.S. Steel to remediate the harm it has caused to local communities, as well as civil penalties to punish the company for past air quality violations and deter future violations. The Clairton Coke Works ranked third in PennEnvironment’s Toxic Ten study of the worst industrial polluters in the region, published in 2015. The facility has a long history of violating the Clean Air Act, having been penalized more than $2 millionin just the past year for a different set of air pollution violations. The other two facilities (the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock and Irvin Works in West Mifflin) are steelmaking facilities that use materials produced at the Clairton plant. They were burning the coke oven gas without essential pollution controls. “When I realized our small town regularly had the worst air in the country, I felt it was my duty to speak up for our right to clean air,” said Melanie Meade, of Clairton. “U.S. Steel needs to show that it will protect the community and ensure that Clairton has a bright, healthy future” Last week, Allegheny County’s chronic air pollution problems were highlighted by the American Lung Association’s State of the Air Report, which identified a worsening problem for fine particulates and ozone in the county, compared with last year’s report. A recent report by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center found that Pittsburgh suffered from poor air quality one in three days. This suit comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit brought by PennEnvironment and the National Environmental Law Center that resulted in a $1.5 million penalty against another regional coke manufacturer, in what is believed to be the largest Clean Air Act citizen settlement in Pennsylvania history. U.S. Steel is headquartered in Chicago.  In 2018, its adjusted net earnings were $957 million. The Civil Cover Sheet can be viewed here. The complaint can be viewed here. #USSteel #CleanAirCouncil #emissions #CleanAirAct #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #IrvinWorks #airpollutions #EdgarThomsonPlant #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #PennEnvironment #Clairton #airquality

The American Lung Association released its 2019 “State of the Air” report and Pittsburgh did not fare well: Not only did it rank the Pittsburgh area’s air quality as the 7th worst in the country, but it also indicated that when it comes to air pollution things are getting worse, not better. According to the report, air quality in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV metro area worsened, not only for ozone (smog) but also for the daily and long-term measures of fine particulate matter for the second year in a row. To put this into perspective: Outside of California, where wildfires rage, Allegheny County is the only county in the United States that recorded failing grades for all three. For those who aren’t aware, the 20th annual air quality “report card” tracks Americans’ exposure to unhealthful levels of ozone and particle pollution, both of which can be deadly. The report found Pittsburgh posted worse levels of ozone pollution than its best-ever result in the 2018 report. “Residents of Pittsburgh and the metro area should be aware that we’re breathing unhealthy air, driven by local emissions, upwind sources, and extreme heat as a result of climate change, placing our health and lives at risk,” said Kevin Stewart, the American Lung Association’s director of Environmental Health for Advocacy and Public Policy. He continued: “In addition to challenges here in Pittsburgh and the 12-county metro area, the 20th anniversary ‘State of the Air’ report highlights that more than four in 10 Americans are living with unhealthy air, and we’re heading in the wrong direction when it comes to protecting public health.” This year’s report covers the most recent quality-assured air quality data available collected by states, cities, counties, tribes and federal agencies in 2015-2017. Notably, those three years were the hottest recorded in global history. Each year, the “State of the Air” provides a report card on the two most widespread outdoor air pollution, ozone pollution – also known as smog – and particle pollution, often called soot. The report analyzes particle pollution in two ways: through average annual particle pollution levels and short-term spikes in particle pollution. Both ozone and particle pollution are dangerous to public health and can increase the risk of premature death and other serious health effects such as lung cancer, asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage, and developmental and reproductive harm. Here are some other takeaways from the report: Pittsburgh metro area experienced more unhealthy days of high ozone in this year’s report, earning the area an F grade and worsening its ranking to 28th worst in the country. “Ozone especially harms children, older adults and those with asthma and other lung diseases,” said Stewart. “When older adults or children with asthma breathe ozone-polluted air, too often they end up in the doctor’s office, the hospital or the emergency room. Ozone can even shorten life itself.” This report documents how warmer temperatures brought by climate change make ozone more likely to form and harder to clean up. This year’s report showed that ozone levels increased in most cities nationwide, in large part due to the record-breaking global heat experienced in the three years tracked in the report. The 2019 report also found that both daily and year-round particle pollution levels were significantly higher than in the 2018 report. Nationwide, the best progress in this year’s report came in reducing year-round levels of particle pollution, but Pittsburgh’s results ran counter to that trend, just as they did last year. Those average levels got worse, continuing to fail the air quality standard, and worsening the metro area’s ranking to 7th worst in the nation. “Particle pollution is made of soot or tiny particles that come from coal-fired power plants, industrial sources, diesel emissions, wildfires and wood-burning devices. These particles are so small that they can lodge deep in the lungs and trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, and can even be lethal,” said Stewart. “Year-round particle pollution levels have dropped thanks to the cleanup of coal-fired power plants and the retirement of old, dirty diesel engines. With few exceptions in the eastern United States, Pittsburgh being one, they continue to improve.” “State of the Air” 2019 also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, as these can be extremely dangerous and even lethal. The report found that the metro area again had more days when short-term particle pollution reached unhealthy levels. In fact, the report found this was Pittsburgh’s worst performance since the 2014 report (covering 2010-2012) and ranked the metro area at 10th worst in the nation. Unlike Pittsburgh, many of these spikes in the western United States were directly linked to weather patterns resulting in drought or to wildfire events, which are increasing in frequency and intensity in those areas of the country due to climate change. While the most recent “State of the Air” report is discouraging, Rachel Filippini, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) said there is some good news: There are steps that can be taken locally to help improve area air quality. “There are several upcoming opportunities for Allegheny County to move towards better air quality,” said Rachel Filippini, executive director of Group Against Smog and Pollution. “This includes Allegheny County putting forward a strong PM2.5 implementation plan, revising the coke oven regulations and adopting the city’s clean construction law.” “Over the period this ALA report covers, the Pittsburgh metropolitan region had an average of 69 percent of its days as ‘not good.’ For Allegheny County, 54 percent of our year was ‘not good.’ What does it mean when between half to two-thirds of all days are not good air days in our region and county? It means that we all pay a price with our health, our families and our reduced prosperity,” said Matt Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project. “We need to pull together to fix this stain on our community. We have a right to breathe healthy air.” Editor’s Note: Do YOU want to do more to urge city and county leaders to take action to improve air quality? Sign up for our newsletter (just click on the link and scroll down – the form is on the right-hand side) to keep up to date on the latest action items, and consider becoming a GASP member to take a more active watchdog role! And for those following the issue, here’s all the associated media coverage: WTAE-TV – “Pittsburgh Gets F for Air Quality from American Lung Association” April 24, 2019 (See updated story later today for interview with Breathe Project) WPXI-TV – “Pittsburgh Metro Area Receives Failing Grades” By Liz Kilmer, April 24, 2019 KDKA-TV – “Air Quality Report” April 24, 2019 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – “Pittsburgh region’s air quality gets an ‘F’ grade” By Don Hopey, April 24, 2019 Environmental Health News – “Pittsburgh Air Quality Continues to Decline” By Kristina Marusic, April 24, 2019 The Allegheny Front – “Failing Grades for Pittsburgh’s Air” By Kathleen Davis, April 20, 2019 WESA 90.5 FM – “Pittsburgh Air Quality Getting Worse” By Kathleen Davis, April 24, 2019 Pittsburgh Business Times – “Pittsburgh Region Gets an “F” for Air Quality” By Luke Torrence, April 24, 2019 Patch Pittsburgh – “Pittsburgh Air Quality Among Worst in Nation” By Eric Heyl, April 24, 2019 #PM25 #airpollution #KevinStewart #smog #RachelFilippini #TheAmericanLungInstitute #StateoftheAirreport #particulatematter #ozonepollution #airquality

Mark your calendars, because you’re invited to attend an event being hosted by Clean Air Council and a newly formed group, Citizens for Clean Air, that will give members of the Clairton community an opportunity to speak out about the recent air quality issues related to the U.S. Steel fire and subsequent facility repair. The event, Clean Air Now for the Mon Valley, is slated for 6 p.m. May 9 at the Church of Jesus Christ in Clairton. Elected officials have also been invited to the event to listen to residents’ concerns. “Help us amplify the voices of the residents of Clairton and the Mon Valley,” organizers wrote on the e-invite. Concerned about air pollution? Want to learn more about air quality? Then join us!  You can register online here. #airpollution #USSteel #CleanAirCouncil #MonValley #CitizensforCleanAir #Clairton #airquality

Nearly 100 community members joined Hold Erie Coke Accountable (HECA) and the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) to learn more about ongoing air quality violations at Erie Coke Works. The event, held at East Middle School in Erie, featured several speakers, including GASP’s Executive Director Rachel Filippini and staff attorney Ned Mulcahy. GASP shared information about air quality issues generally—and those affecting Erie Coke Works specifically—as well as some background about the nature and history of environmental violations there. Joining them were two professors: Mike Campbell Ph.D, a science and biology professor at Mercyhurst, who researches water quality issues and Michelle Homan, Ph.D, a Gannon professor/Environmental Science and Engineering researcher, who tackles air quality concerns. Both are core members of HECA. The event garnered tremendous media coverage. Here are some links of interest: “Environmental Groups Gather to Voice Erie Coke Concerns,” from GoErie.com “Citizens Group Holds Public Meeting About Erie Coke,” from ErieNewsNow.com “Hold Erie Coke Accountable Host Community Meeting Regarding Erie Coke,” from YourErie.com To kick off the evening, HECA shared a video that provided viewers with detailed information about Erie Coke Works, as well as violations at its sister plant in New York—violations that ultimately led to the facility being shuttered. That video is a must-watch, and can be viewed on the HECA Facebook page. #ErieCoke #HoldErieCokeAccountable #ErieCokeCorp #HECA #MichelleHoman #RachelFilippini #emissions #MikeCampbell #airquality

An East Pittsburgh woman on April 9 filed a class action lawsuit against U.S. Steel, claiming the company was grossly negligent/reckless in the way it handled a Dec. 24 fire at its Clairton plant and its aftermath. The suit specifically alleges that U.S. Steel: Failed to develop and/or maintain adequate policies and procedures as necessary to prevent the Dec. 24, 2018 Clairton Plant fire; Failed to develop and implement an adequate mechanical integrity program necessary to prevent any such fires; Failed to develop, design, construct, inspect, maintain, operate, control, and/or engineer proper gas processing center compressors, piping, and/or pressure letdown devices as necessary to counter the risk of explosion or fire in its gas processing Failed to develop and employ a backup release management plan to control the release of noxious gas and other harmful emissions in the event of a fire; Failed to notify Plaintiff and the Class of the Dec. 24, 2018 Clairton Plant Fire and the hazardous emission levels until Jan. 9, 2019; Failed to sufficiently reduce production and thereby emissions at the Clairton Plant following the Dec. 24, 2018 fire and until the emission reduction system was repaired and functioning Otherwise failed to develop, design, construct, inspect, maintain, operate, control and/or engineer its Clairton Plant to prevent catastrophic fires and uncontrolled releases of noxious gas and other harmful emissions. In the suit, attorneys for Linda Hernandez, 38, write that the fire “triggered repeated high health alerts from the Allegheny County Health Department, causing widespread nuisance discomfort (offensive odor, burning eyes, nose, and throat, difficulty breathing, sleep loss, headaches, anxiety) and impeding area residents’ use and enjoyment of their homes.” Hernandez seeks “lost use and enjoyment damages to vindicate private property rights – not enforcement of environmental statutes, regulations, or regulatory permits; She seeks monetary damages, not injuctive relief.” Punitive damages are also being sought. Her attorneys write several times throughout the 18-page Notice to Defend document: U.S. Steel should have known better. “The prolonged discomfort experienced throughout the class area and the repeated public warnings that alarmed the class-area residents and caused them to shutter inside their homes were all foreseeable,” the court document reads. “Defendant knew or should have known this would occur.” Hernandez, who experienced breathing problems and other physical ailments after the fire and through April 4, is seeking to represent residents who live in 22 affected communities. “Properties have been invaded for more than three months by offensive odors and noxious emissions,” the court document reads. Hernandez says in the lawsuit that those odors and fumes stopped her from walking her dogs outside, prompted her to keep her granddaughter indoors, and otherwise affected her ability to enjoy her property. U.S. Steel has 20 days from April 9 to respond to the suit. Editor’s Note: GASP has published several blogs about the Clairton fire, as well as subsequent air quality complaints and enforcement actions. #USSteel #Clairtonplantfire #emissions #LindaHernandez #ClairtonCokeWorks #Clairton #airquality

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) has a legacy of strong women, with many serving as board members, staff members, and spokeswomen throughout the history of our organization. At our upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 12, we’d like to celebrate contemporary women in environmental fields while commemorating Michelle Madoff, our founder and first president. This is where you come in. GASP is seeking nominations for outstanding women in the fields of business, community organizing, education, media, and medicine to each receive the Michelle Madoff Award of Environmental Excellence. These awards will be presented to women who are currently working to improve the environment of southwestern Pennsylvania: Business – The award will honor the owner, manager, or sustainability coordinator for a large or small local business. To her, business as usual includes being as eco-friendly and efficient as possible and minimizing environmental impacts while keeping customers happy. Community Organizing – The award will celebrate a woman who brings people together in the fight for a healthy environment. As an activist, local politician, or non-profit employee, she inspires people to take action and make their voices heard. Education – This awardee understands the importance of connecting people with nature. In her classroom, after school program, or non-profit office, she knows that creating stewards and activists is a priority for the health of the environment around us. Media – This award will honor a female member of the media who shares important news about the state of the environment. She keeps people up to date with the facts and digs deep on pollution issues, climate change, or relevant legislation. She may share her story on the local TV news, in the newspaper, on the radio, or on her blog. Medicine – This award will celebrate a doctor, nurse, or researcher who helps connect medical symptoms to possible environmental causes. She doesn’t just treat patients, she helps bring attention to relationships between a person’s health and their surroundings. GASP’s events committee reserves the right to choose which among the nominees will win each category. The deadline to make a nomination is June 30. Please note that the names and contact information of those making nominations will remain confidential. Making a nomination is simple: Just fill out the questions on this Google form or email amanda@gasp-pgh.org the following information: Your name and contact information Award category Name of nominee, as well as their job title and place of employment Summary of why you believe they deserve to win the Michelle Madoff Award of Environmental Excellence. #airquality #MichelleMadoff #MichelleMadoffAwardsofEnvironmentalExcellence #nominations

Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward on March 29 overruled preliminary objections filed by Allegheny County in a lawsuit filed by Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) and Clean Air Council questioning the funding sources for a proposed renovation project at the county health department’s (ACHD) Clack Campus. In seeking to have portions of—and parties to—the case dismissed, the county put forth chilling arguments concerning who may challenge its actions and suggests that ACHD should be given absolute deference in making certain decisions. The ruling did not include a detailed opinion, but Ward’s ruling affirmed that GASP and Clean Air Council are the proper parties to bring this case and that we have raised questions about ACHD’s use of the relevant funds that should be decided in a court of law. Clean Air Council and GASP filed the lawsuit in July 2018 to prevent the County from misusing funds otherwise designated for protecting and improving air quality in Allegheny County.  The reason for the lawsuit is clear: millions of dollars from the Clean Air and Title V Funds must instead be spent protecting residents’ health by: Implementing more projects like university studies of local air pollution Upgrading dirty diesel bus and construction equipment engines Making improvements in permitting, inspecting, testing, and enforcing Title V regulations for major sources of air pollution “There is no timetable for a final decision on the matter but for now, we are happy that the Court affirmed our right to question how ACHD does business,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said.  “We just won a small victory, but it is a significant victory.” Clean Air Council staff attorney Christopher Ahlers echoed that sentiment. “We are pleased this case is going forward,” he said. “Air quality is very important to the lives of people in the community. We believe the funds should be spent to improve air quality in Allegheny County.” #airpollution #CleanAirCouncil #RachelFilippini #CommonPleasJudgeChristineWard #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #CleanAirFund

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on April 1 announced via a press release that it had levied a fine of $707,568 against U.S. Steel for the third and fourth quarters of 2018 because of continued emissions problems at the Clairton Coke Works facility. This marks the third civil penalty levied against U.S. Steel since June of 2018, totaling more than $2 million. This latest civil penalty is separate from all other enforcement actions and legal matters that ACHD and U.S. Steel are actively involved in since the beginning of 2017. Following is a summary of those matters: On Nov. 9, 2017, ACHD and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a joint notice of violation against U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility for repeated exceedances of visible emissions and violations of its Title V permit. The U.S. Department of Justice is involved, and fines will eventually be split between ACHD and the EPA. On June 28, 2018, ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel that also included a civil penalty of more than $1 million because of a decrease in compliance over time at its Clairton Coke Works. Terms of the order included that if U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works does not improve violations in two sequential quarters of 2019 (Jan 1-June 30), two of the worst performing batteries will be put on hot idle. U.S. Steel appealed this order and it is currently in the appeals process with the hearing officer. A written decision will be issued in the future. On Oct. 18, 2018, the Allegheny County Health Department issued an additional civil penalty, a fine of $620,316, against U.S. Steel for continued emissions problems for the second quarter of 2018 at the Clairton Coke Works facility, as there was an increase in the number of violations over the previous quarter. U.S. Steel has appealed this civil penalty. A hearing to determine the merits of the appeal will be held on June 17, 2019 (date subject to change). On Feb. 28, 2019, ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works (Edgar Thomson Plant, Irvin Plant and Clairton Coke Works) for continued Article XXI permit violations for daily sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions after the Dec. 24, 2018, fire occurred at the Clairton Coke Works. On March 12, 2019, ACHD revised its enforcement order. The action was taken in response to information submitted by U.S. Steel on March 7, 2019, demonstrating that portions of the February 28th order could result in greater short-term emissions. Per the revised order, U.S. Steel is required to extend coking times to 27 hours, have specific equipment operational by April 1, 2019, and have 100 percent desulfurization back online by April 15, 2019. Additional enforcement actions will follow if these deadlines are not met. Once repairs to the Clairton Coke Works made necessary by the Dec. 24, 2018 fire are completed, ACHD will conduct a comprehensive assessment of violations and will evaluate and review all information to determine the amount of the resulting civil penalties. The fines will be in addition to any additional measures that will be required by ACHD of U.S. Steel. #sulfurdioxide #USSteel #EdgarThompsonfacility #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #ACHD #ClairtonCokeWorks #MonValleyWorks