GASP Testifies at DEP Hearing, Supports Proposal to Designate Allegheny County as a Non-Attainment Area for PM2.5 NAAQS

Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) Executive Director Patrick Campbell on Tuesday presented formal comments at a state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hearing in support of the agency's proposal to designate Allegheny County as a nonattainment area for the revised primary annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particulate matter.

Here's what he told them:

Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, I am the executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution - or GASP - a nonprofit working to improve our regional air quality since 1969. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today.

GASP supports the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s proposal to designate Allegheny County as a nonattainment area for the revised primary annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particulate matter.

Local residents, researchers, medical professionals and fellow environmental advocates know all too well how PM2.5 poses significant and widespread health risks to Allegheny County residents.

As the so-called Steel City, Pittsburgh has a long history with industrial pollution. And the largest point-source of PM2.5 pollution in the entire state - U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works - is right here in Allegheny County. 

That facility alone emitted more than 45 tons of PM2.5, as well as thousands of tons of precursor pollutants like Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Oxides, and Volatile Organic Compounds. 

Exposure to these microscopic particles has been linked to serious respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and developmental impacts.

It’s important to acknowledge that both nationally and locally, the burden of PM2.5 pollution is not equally distributed. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods - like those we see here in the Mon Valley and other areas of Allegheny County - experience disproportionately higher levels of exposure, exacerbating existing health disparities. 

And this environmental injustice demands urgent action.  

The designation of Allegheny County as nonattainment is a critical step toward addressing these serious health concerns. This designation will empower the Allegheny County Health Department to:

• Identify the primary sources of PM2.5 pollution within the county

• Develop and implement effective strategies to reduce emissions

• Prioritize interventions in areas most impacted by air pollution

GASP urges DEP to move forward with this designation for Allegheny County and to work collaboratively with local communities, environmental organizations, and public health agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to achieve and maintain attainment of the revised PM2.5 NAAQS.

Thank you.

Editor's Note: