Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with local families and environmental advocates, the   Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP)  on Monday attended a public hearing to challenge the installation permit for the EQT Leto Well Pad and Dehydrator in West Deer Township. GASP joined our partners at   Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD) , a dedicated group of neighbors who have spent years fighting to protect their community from heavy industrial shale gas operations in residential and densely populated areas. We also collaborated with the   Environmental Health Project (EHP)  and   Protect PT   to raise concerns regarding the Leto project’s potential air quality and public health impacts. This hearing marked the latest chapter in a long-standing battle for some concerned residents of West Deer Township. The Leto project has been a lightning rod for controversy since its inception. While West Deer supervisors initially approved the conditional use for the well pad in 2023, some residents have remained steadfast in their opposition. Local advocates argue that the site is fundamentally unsuitable for   hydraulic fracturing , commonly referred to as fracking because of its density and potential for noise, light, and—most critically—air pollution. Most recently, on Monday, April 13, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) accepted public comment on the permit, which governs how air -pollution- control equipment will operate on-site. Those pieces of equipment are known sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), which can contribute to respiratory issues and other long-term health complications. “Given the vast body of scientific research linking shale gas development to adverse health outcomes, combined with EQT's history of health and safety violations, we hope the Allegheny County Health Department exercises their authority to ensure adequate precautions are taken at this site,” Talor Musil of EHP said. "We see companies like EQT add polluting equipment to communities in a piecemeal fashion in order to hide the true pollution burden from the community and local government,” Gillian Graber of Protect PT said. “That is why it is imperative that the ACHD consider the full buildout of polluting infrastructure and employ the precautionary principle to protect the health of the community.” GASP was proud to stand with community members and support their grassroots work. “Public health should never be a secondary consideration to industrial expansion,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We were there to help ensure the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) hears the community's demand for the most stringent protections possible under the law.” You can read   GASP’s full comments here.

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has issued a $7,140 civil penalty against NCP Carbon for repeated air quality violations and failure to report equipment breakdowns in 2025. Located in Jefferson Hills, the facility specializes in carbon products, including carbon raiser, injection carbon, and metallurgic coke. According to a March 9 ACHD enforcement order, between June and October 2025, department representatives documented several instances of excess emissions originating from the facility’s baghouse and thermal dryer.  While the emissions themselves are a concern, NCP Carbon is specifically being cited for failing to notify ACHD - on five separate occasions - about equipment breakdowns as its permit requires. In fact, the enforcement order indicates ACHD only received reports after contacting the operator themselves. NCP Carbon has been ordered to: Correct all violations immediately. Report all future breakdowns within the mandatory 60-minute window. Submit written notices   within seven days of any original notification. You can read the entire enforcement order here. Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. However, the docket has not been updated since December 2025. GASP is filing Right to Know requests for enforcement documents each month. “Timely transparency is needed,” GASP Communications Manager Amanda Gillooly said. “It would be ideal if the county updated the Air Quality Program enforcement docket each month, so residents know what our local regulator is doing to protect the air we all breathe from bad actors. As it stands, the docket has not been updated yet this year.”

Remember that breakdown at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works this past January - the one that prompted the Allegheny County Health Department to issue this public statement? Because a GASP public records request has revealed new information: That the breakdown resulted in a demand for $10,000 in stipulated penalties against U.S. Steel. Why? Because of provision in a high-profile 2021 consent decre e  reached between the company, our friends at PennEnvironment, and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The caveat: That U.S. Steel would be fined $10,000 for the first consecutive calendar day for excess H2S grain loading where sulfur dioxide emissions at Clairton Coke Works exceed 20 tons. Fines increase if the violation runs more than one day. According to ACHD’s March 10 demand for stipulated penalties, the Clairton Coke Works emitted 22.6 tons of excess SO2 thanks to the Jan. 27 breakdown. You can read the entire demand letter here. For those who'd like to take a deeper dive into the incident, here are some other docs we received through the Right to Know process: The  initial breakdown report  U.S. Steel submitted to ACHD  The 24-hour written notice  U.S. Steel submitted to ACHD ACHD’s notification to U.S. Steel that there was an exceedance of the H2S 25-grain standard An email chain  between ACHD and U.S. Steel discussing flaring during the event Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. However, the docket has not been updated since December 2025. GASP is filing Right to Know requests for enforcement documents each month. “Timely transparency is needed,” GASP Communications Manager Amanda Gillooly said. “It would be ideal if the county updated the Air Quality Program enforcement docket each month, so residents know what our local regulator is doing to protect the air we all breathe from bad actors. As it stands, the docket has not been updated yet this year.”

An enforcement action by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) serves as a stark reminder that public health regulations aren't optional—even for state agencies. Here’s what happened: During a routine inspection in April 2025, ACHD representatives visited the I-376 Bridge over Boyce Road and determined that while the site already held a permit for sandblasting structural steel, crews were also performing unpermitted abrasive blasting on rusted rebar for concrete repairs. The penalty? According to March 9 ACHD enforcement order, PennDOT and Northeast Paving on were hit with a $4,030 fine.  Northeast Paving, the general contractor, admitted they had been blasting the rebar for days without providing prior notification to ACHD as required. It is unclear why it took nearly a year for the enforcement action to be issued. Under Allegheny County’s air pollution control laws - known collectively as Article 21 - any abrasive blasting project exceeding 1,000 square feet requires the ACHD to be notified at least 30 days in advance. In this case, the notification was submitted nearly a month after the work was already finished. Why do we care? Because abrasive blasting can release fine particulate matter and other pollutants into the air if not properly managed.  The 30-day notice period ensures ACHD can review the project to protect the air we breathe. You can read the entire enforcement order that GASP obtained through a Right to Know request here . You can read more about ACHD’s abrasive blasting regulations here. Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. However, the docket has not been updated since December 2025. GASP is filing Right to Know requests for enforcement documents each month. “Timely transparency is needed,” GASP Communications Manager Amanda Gillooly said. “It would be ideal if the county updated the Air Quality Program enforcement docket each month so residents know what our local regulator is doing to protect the air we all breathe from bad actors. As it stands, the docket has not been updated yet this year.”

The Avonworth School District and one of its contractors are facing a $5,850 fine for asbestos abatement-related violations stemming from a 2025 roof replacement project at the high school.   According to a March 9, 2026, enforcement order issued by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and obtained by GASP through a public records request, the district and Triangle Roofing Corp. failed to provide the required asbestos survey prior to renovations at Avonworth High School.   “As of the date of this order, a thorough pre-renovation asbestos survey of the building materials disturbed by the renovation project has not been provided to ACHD by Avonworth School District or Triangle Roofing,” the order states.   You can read the entire enforcement order here.   Little bit of background about asbestos and why it’s a concern: When asbestos is left undisturbed it does not pose a health risk. However, during renovation or demolition, it’s common for old, brittle asbestos products to release tiny fibers. These tasteless, odorless fibers can remain suspended in the air and enter your lungs when you inhale. And once inhaled, asbestos stays there forever. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can cause serious health issues including asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pleural disease. And there is no safe minimum level of exposure to asbestos. An estimated 10,000 cases of asbestos-related disease occur each year in the U.S. as a result of past exposures.   In Allegheny County, the health department regulates asbestos.  ACHD’s rules require an asbestos survey for all renovation and demolition projects and depending on the quantity of asbestos identified, proper notification, specific work practices, and proper disposal of asbestos-containing material (ACM) are required.   These rules apply to all structures with more than four dwelling units, along with schools, public buildings, and a wide range of other structures defined as facilities under the regulations. Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. However, the docket has not been updated since December 2025. GASP is filing Right to Know requests for enforcement documents each month. “Timely transparency is needed,” GASP Communications Manager Amanda Gillooly said. “It would be ideal if the county updated the Air Quality Program enforcement docket each month, so residents know what our local regulator is doing to protect the air we all breathe from bad actors. As it stands, the docket has not been updated yet this year.”

Ethylene oxide is a cancer-causing hazardous air pollutant that is used to sterilize medical products, among other things – we’ve blogged about ethylene oxide pollution several times .    Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has moved the sticks on regulating ethylene oxide pollution yet again , it’s time for another update.   EPA on March 17 published a proposed rule and reconsideration of its April 5, 2024 Final Rule that revised the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for facilities that use ethylene oxide to sterilize medical and other products.    The 2026 proposed rule would undo some, but not all, of the stricter emission standards imposed by the 2024 rule, mostly having to do with facilities that use 10 or more tons per year of ethylene oxide.    There are no such facilities in our region, although one facility in Erie uses smaller quantities of ethylene oxide. It appears that the emission limitations that apply to that facility will not change as a result of EPA’s latest proposed revisions to the NESHAPS.   What makes the latest proposed rule interesting is the basis that EPA asserts for promulgating it: specifically, that EPA lacked the authority to perform the residual risk review on which it based the revisions it made in 2024 and proposes to rescind now, because that was the second residual risk review it performed for the NESHAPs for ethylene oxide.    In other words, EPA is now claiming that some of the revisions that it made in 2024 to the NESHAPs for ethylene oxide broke the law. Did they?  Maybe. Some background on what the Clean Air Act says (and does not say) about revising NESHAPs will be helpful to understanding why (or why not):   The Act requires that within eight years after promulgating a NESHAPs, EPA must revisit it to determine whether it is sufficiently stringent. First, EPA must perform a technology review to determine whether the standard incorporates what’s known as developments in practices, processes, and control technologies, and revise the standard to incorporate such developments if it does not.    The Act further requires that EPA perform an additional technology review every eight years thereafter.   The Act also requires that within eight years of promulgating a NESHAPs, EPA must perform a residual risk review to determine whether the NESHAPs should be revised to address any health risks that remain despite the NESHAPs.    The Act does not  expressly require that EPA perform further residual risk reviews every eight years as it does for technology reviews. In fact, it does not say anything about additional residual risk reviews.   EPA first promulgated a NESHAPs for sterilization facilities that use ethylene oxide in 1994 and finalized technology and residual risk reviews for it in 2006. When EPA proposed the 2024 revisions to the standards, it took the position that it was permitted to do a second residual risk review because the Clean Air Act did not expressly prohibit such a review (which was a novel position for it to take).    EPA now claims that it can only exercise authority that is provided by the statute (rather than authority that is not prohibited by the statute), and that the Clean Air Act does not provide it with the authority to do additional residual risk reviews for a NESHAPs.   “This is another question that will be determined by the federal courts,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie. “It is unlikely that Congress will clarify what authority it intends for EPA to have, although it should. EPA does itself no favors by flip-flopping every several years.”   EPA has scheduled a virtual public hearing for its proposed revisions to the ethylene oxide NESHAPs for April 1, 2026, with details to be announced at this address:  https://www.epa.gov/ stationary-sources-air-pollution/ ethylene-oxide-emissions-standards- sterilization-facilities .    Further, EPA is accepting comments on the proposed revisions through May 1.  You may submit your comments at https://www.regulations.gov/ , under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0178.

Some abysmal news to share: As of this week, the Mon Valley has experienced 34 hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) exceedances so far in 2026.  To put that into perspective, during this same period last year, we were looking at just 14.  For the uninitiated: Hydrogen sulfide is an air pollutant with an unmistakable rotten egg odor that all-too-often blankets the Mon Valley.  While the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) tracks it, the health and quality-of-life impacts are more than just a nuisance.  A quick look at CREATE Lab’s Smell Pittsburgh app shows residents are reporting: • Respiratory issues : Especially for those with asthma. • Neurological symptoms: Headaches, nausea, and "brain fog." • Quality of life issues: Sleep interruption and the inability to let your kids play outside. If you are now asking yourself, “But where does the stuff come from?” know that ACHD’s own study attributed H2S exceedances almost entirely to emissions from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Plant.  Yet here we are in 2026, still waking up to air that violates Pennsylvania state standards. ACHD has the data. They have the dashboard. But monitoring and understanding the pollutant’s origin are just the first steps - now we need action. That’s why we are hoping you’ll join us at the upcoming Board of Health meeting to demand we move beyond monitoring and start mandating real change. The only way to ensure our leaders feel that urgency is to show up - in person if possible - and tell our stories.  We need to look the members in the eye and describe what it's like to live in the stench zone and ask them to do what they can to identify strategies to stem this issue. GASP will be speaking out, and we hope you’ll join us. • Date : This Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • Time : 12:30 p.m. • Place : Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (1 N. Linden Street, Duquesne, PA 15110) Please, if you have experienced headaches, sore throat, or had to keep your windows shut on a beautiful day, the board needs to hear it.  Note: Residents who wish to address the board must register 24-hours in advance by clicking here . Please be aware that you can choose to comment in-person or via Zoom.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published notice of its intent to issue a Plan Approval to Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC for modifications to the company’s ethane cracker in Monaca, Beaver County - with plans for a public hearing April 7. Specifically, the Plan Approval would: authorize Shell to modify flares that it uses to control air pollution at the Facility, as required by new federal regulations authorize Shell to install new equipment in the Facility’s Waste Water Treatment Plant (this equipment will reduce the Facility’s water pollution but will increase its air pollution); and modify other Plan Approvals that DEP has already issued for the Facility. DEP has made the Plan Approval and materials related to it available to the public on its website (click the link for Proposed Plan Approval PA-04-00740D on   this webpage ). Here are some save-the-dates:   March 19  -  Shell Plan Approval Q+A Public Meeting  6 PM * Penn State Beaver Auditorium, 100 University Drive in Monaca from 6 to 8 p.m.   March 31  –  We Speak, They Listen: Shaping the Public Record , 6:30 PM (Zoom) April 7  –  Shell Plan Approval Permit Public Hearing  6 PM (Monaca)** DEP’s notice states: Anyone wishing to present testimony should contact Emily Green, Southwest Environmental Justice Coordinator, emgreen@pa.gov or 412-442-4042, no less than 24 hours in advance of the public hearing to reserve a time to present testimony. Individuals who do not register may also present testimony on the day of the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes per individual, and two (2) written copies of the oral testimony are requested. Further , DEP will accept written comments on the Plan Approval through April 17.   You may submit written comments about the Plan Approval: via e-mail to asandy@pa.gov or in writing to Department of Environmental Protection, Attn: Alexander Sandy, Air Quality Engineering Specialist, Air Quality Program, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  Each written comment must contain the name, address and telephone number of the person submitting the comments, identification of the proposed Air Quality Plan Approval (PA-04-00740D) and a concise statement regarding the relevancy of the information or objections to issuance of the plan approval. Editor’s Note: GASP is reviewing the Plan Approval and will update this blog with anything notable that we find. Stay tuned!

Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager GASP amanda@gasp-pgh.org         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         GASP Community Air Monitoring Project Finds High Levels of Benzene in Local Communities   The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is thrilled to announce the publication of its first semi-annual report detailing findings from its Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project . This landmark initiative provides a new level of transparency regarding air quality in Allegheny County neighborhoods adjacent to major industrial emitters. The project has created an expanded monitoring network and air sampling system, resulting in more detailed information about air pollutants that are consistently present in air pollution plumes, as well as trends in our region. The initiative is the result of a robust partnership between GASP, Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab, Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN), Clean Water Fund (CWF), Protect Elizabeth Township (PET), and Valley Clean Air Now (VCAN). Its purpose? To seek data-driven information about air toxics and emissions from industrial facilities located near our monitor sites. This data has been gathered through the monitoring and sampling of ambient air at designated sites in and around the Mon Valley, Neville Island, Uptown and West Elizabeth Township. The monitoring program focused on five specific so-called "subject emitters": U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works in Clairton Lindy Paving Inc. in Uptown Metalico Pittsburgh Inc. on Neville Island Neville Chemical Company on Neville Island Synthomer Resins Company in West Elizabeth Township While the report is conducted under an EPA-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan, it should be noted that the findings are intended to inform future studies and community awareness rather than for direct regulatory enforcement. Here are some key takeaways. “This monitoring program provides local residents with insight into what their air looks like, what it is composed of, and what impacts these components can have on their health and wellbeing,” ACCAN Executive Director Aarushi Pant said. “It puts science in the hands of community members who are directly impacted by air pollution, and gives them the tools, knowledge, and resources to bring about the changes they wish to see in their community!” Scott Taylor of Protect Elizabeth Township agreed. "Through this air monitoring project, we are finally gaining the hyper-local insights necessary to understand the true quality of the air we breathe in the Elizabeth Township area. We are particularly concerned by the short-term spikes in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) captured by these monitors - particularly benzene. While long-term averages are important, these acute 'bursts' of pollution can cause immediate respiratory irritation and headaches, and their presence near industrial sites demands further review," he said. "We hope the data gleaned from these monitors provides a roadmap for accountability, helping us identify specific pollution plumes and ensuring that our community's health is no longer overlooked by regulatory gaps." Ana Hoffman, Air Quality Program Director at CREATE Lab, said she looks forward to what’s to come with the project. “We're hopeful that this project can build on the many years of community-based air monitoring effort led by local, dedicated advocates for public health,” she said. “These early adopters of democratized air monitoring technology-built networks to expand available knowledge, and in doing so they also garnered a sense of trust and motivation for action among Allegheny County residents.” The full report details monitoring efforts from July 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025, is available for download on the GASP website here.   ###   Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policymaker on many environmental issues, with a focus on air quality.   Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN)  is a non-profit founded in June, 2014 to give a voice to the residents living downwind from the DTE Energy's Shenango Coke Plant on Neville Island. It is the successor organization to the Neville Island Good Neighbor Committee that was formed by the communities surrounding the coke plant and Clean Water Action in the late 1980s.   Clean Water Fund   has helped people successfully campaign for cleaner air, cleaner and safer water, and protection from toxic pollution since 1974.   CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University   works with partners to co-design tools to document air pollution, building on the combined power of crowd-sourced reporting, continuous sensor measurements and innovative monitoring technology, time-lapse imagery and visualizations to engage, empower, and inform the public and policy makers.   Protect Elizabeth Township  (PET)   is a grassroots community organization dedicated to advocating for environmental protection and promoting responsible development in Elizabeth Township.   Valley Clean Air Now (VCAN)  is a non-profit organization fighting for the residents of the Mon Valley who continue to suffer from severe health, economic, climate, and environmental injustice by galvanizing the community to take action through local politics, grassroots organizing, community building, education, and community health initiatives.

Take a deep breath. Smell something acrid or chemical? How about the odor of rotten eggs? Then report it! While the  Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection  (more commonly referred to as DEP) regulates air quality in the Keystone State, Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties do things a little differently. Instead of being regulated by DEP, air-quality issues are instead handled by local regulatory agencies. Here in Allegheny County, air quality is regulated by the Allegheny County Health Department (sometimes called ACHD for short). This means that if you live INSIDE Allegheny County and you smell a foul odor, you may report it by contacting the ACHD. To report a foul odor you can call 412-687-ACHD, or you can file a  complaint online . Folks in Allegheny County may also utilize an app developed by the  CREATE Lab  at Carnegie Mellon University known as  Smell PGH to report a foul odor to the health department. When you utilize the app—which crowd sources smell reports so they can track how air pollution travels across the city—it sends your air quality complaint directly to the ACHD. Please note: If you smell natural gas or otherwise have an air quality emergency, it’s always best to contact the health department directly . The app also allows users to see a map containing the locations of all other air quality complaints lodged that day. Live outside of Allegheny County? Foul odors outside the county need to be reported to DEP. You can do this by calling 412-442-4184, or you may file a  complaint online. Pro tip: When making an air quality complaint with either the Allegheny County Health Department or DEP, remember: The devil is in the details! Please be as specific as possible. Remember to include key information such as: The time you noticed the odor Your location (both neighborhood and zip code, please!) A brief description of the odor or smoke Please know that while making air quality complaints to environmental regulators is a great first step, there are other things you can do to make your voice heard on air quality issues. The second and third calls after your initial air quality complaint should be to your representatives in the state House and Senate. Not sure who represents you? No worries. Visit the  Pennsylvania General Assembly website , type in your address, and it will give you the contact information on your state representative and senator. Still want to do more to fight for clean air? You can  attend events ,  make a donation , sign up to be a  Smoke Reader , or  become a member of GASP ! #DepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection #airpollution #SmellPGH #CREATELab #AlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment #DEP #ACHD #airquality