Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In chapter one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. In chapter two, we analyzed the terms of the consent decree, while chapter three focused on whether or not U.S. Steel met the requirements of those terms. In this final chapter, we talk about what's next and why we need YOU. For many of the aspects of the consent decree - like BOP Shop recommended improvements and installation of the Riley Boilers - we have to wait, and GASP will be making subsequent public records requests for those semiannual reports to determine where in the process U.S. Steel is - and what additional documents that we will need to obtain. That process will be ongoing. For those asking, “Hey, what ever happened with that Turtle Creek Connection trail that received $750,000 in consent decree fine money?” we don’t have much new news there, either, unfortunately. The project website states simply, “This project is currently in the design and engineering phase.” What We DO Know Our investigation into the Edgar Thomson Works consent decree showed something somewhat shocking: That U.S. Steel is capable of meeting the requirements of an air quality-related consent decree. For example: GASP’s public records requests reveal there were no demands for stipulated penalties associated with the decree since the deal was inked. Not one. By contrast, ACHD issued demands for stipulated penalties to U.S. Steel every single quarter for the entirety of the five years the company was under the terms of a controversial 2019 consent decree designed to get the Clairton Coke Works into compliance with air quality rules following a high-profile 2018 Christmas Eve fire that knocked out key emissions-control equipment for 100 days. So what now? We stay vigilant. GASP’s watchdog work will not stop while we’re waiting for the myriad reports, updates, studies and details to emerge. Why? Under the current consent decree, U.S. Steel is required to follow "short-term and intermediate recommendations" to reduce emissions for various operations. But how do we know if these work practices and equipment tweaks are actually doing what they were intended to? The answer is community eyes. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) employs inspectors, but the reality is simple: they cannot be everywhere at once. That’s why GASP is increasing its watchdog efforts at Edgar Thomson and we’re looking for volunteers to help join our ET Watch Team to provide the consistent, high-quality observations needed to hold U.S. Steel accountable. Join the Team We are looking for residents who live near the Edgar Thomson facility to join us. You know your neighborhood best. You know when the air feels heavy and when the stench is at its peak. GASP will provide the tools residents need to: ● Understand visual emissions coming from the Edgar Thomson facility ● Make effective air quality reports to Allegheny County Health Department ● Engage with policymakers Ready to take the next step? “We cannot wait for U.S. Steel to self-report every slip-up. If we want the air in the Mon Valley to improve, we must be the ones working to make it happen,” Campbell added. Interested? Fill out our quick form here.

Gov. Josh Shapiro this week announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was seeking final court approval of a consent decree that will allow two generating stations in the Commonwealth to reopen and operate through 2032.   The Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations are both coal-fired power plants having the same operator. Keystone is in Armstrong County and Conemaugh is in Indiana County. Both plants had been slated to close at the end of 2028, when compliance with stricter federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations that were promulgated in 2015 would have become mandatory. When it made the decision to close the plants in 2021, the plants’ operator determined it was too expensive to comply with those regulations. Increased demand for electricity brought on by data centers has changed the analysis that led to the decision to close the plants.   Also playing into the plants’ decision to reopen: a still-proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would allow DEP - as the Clean Water Act permitting authority for the plants - to extend the deadline for the plants to comply with the 2015 federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations, provided that DEP finds an “unexpected” change in electricity prices or a surge in demand for electricity has occurred. Nothing in the Consent Decree purported to alter the plants’ obligations under the air pollution laws and regulations, so, presumably, the plants will operate pursuant to their existing Title V Operating Permits (which you can access here and here).  Although both plants’ Title V Operating Permits have expired, the plants may still operate under them because the plant operator submitted timely renewal applications (which DEP has not acted on). “Although the reopening of the plants might help ease the strain on the electric grid, it will be bad for air pollution in areas downwind from the plants,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie. “For 2024, the Conemaugh plant reported 1,508 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,234 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions, and the Keystone plant reported 7,322 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,112 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions.”   More information regarding those emissions is available here.

Several months ago, we blogged about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to redesignate Allegheny County from nonattainment of the 2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter to attainment. We have an update: In the April 16 edition of the Federal Register, EPA published a Final Rule that does, in fact, redesignate Allegheny County to attainment of the 2012 NAAQS for PM2.5. To put it another way: It’s official, official now. Two things to note:  Achieving attainment does not mean that sources of PM2.5 and regulators can take their feet off the gas, as the regulations that achieved attainment remain on the books as part of what’s known as the Maintenance Plan for Allegheny County.   However, any new major sources of PM2.5 in Allegheny County, or any new major modifications to existing major sources of PM2.5, will be subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements rather than stricter Nonattainment New Source Review requirements. Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements are designed to ensure that a new source does not knock an area out of attainment of a NAAQS. April 16’s Final Rule caps a long process that resulted in the closure of several sources of PM2.5 and the installation of improved emission controls at many others – those are outlined in the November 20, 2025 Proposed Rule for the redesignation.   “EPA’s redesignation of Allegheny underlines how the Clean Air Act works, albeit slowly, to promote public health,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie.

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. CROWD said health impacts were a major concern. "EQT's Leto well site, where they plan to build the dehydrator that will spew approximately 70 tons of toxic pollutants yearly, is surrounded by old coal mining "patch" homes; the houses are built close to one another, with 855 people living in this small community. These pollutants are known to cause acute & chronic health issues, as well as contributing to cancer, especially in children and elderly, which make up 53% of this neighborhood," the group said in a statement. They added: "The cumulative effect of gas operations in this small area, including fracking wells, an approved compressor station, an interconnect, and nonstop diesel truck traffic, is very concerning.  Adding a TEG dehydrator to this industrial buildout in a residential area is unacceptable. With over $2 billion in profit, EQT can certainly afford better technology that is less polluting and will be more protective of the families and vulnerable populations living in this area." Environmental Health Project agreed. “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 its 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.