(UPDATED) GASP to County Council: Do Your Job & Approve Proposal to Fully Fund Air Quality Program

This story was updated on 9:45 a.m. March 26 to include more details about the meeting.

GASP on Tuesday joined residents and fellow environmental advocates at the Allegheny County Council meeting to demand action on a health department proposal to fully fund the Air Quality Program by increasing certain fees imposed on permitted facilities.

Campbell was among myriad speakers to address council on the issue.

In the waning moments of the meeting - right as Council President Pat Catena was ready to call for adjournment - Councilman Jack Betkowski spoke up, asking if it was possible to amend the agenda to add the fee schedule changes so they could be put up for a vote.

Councilwoman Bethany Hallam seconded the motion.

Catena noted that adding the agenda item and taking action on it would be a Sunshine Law violation (which is likely to be true).

Despite Councilmen Dan Grzybek and DeWitt Walton asking follow-up procedural questions to the solicitor about whether - and how - council could address the fee schedule changes Tuesday, the discussion was quashed.

Catena ultimately said he was not willing to entertain the matter and adjourned the meeting.

GASP wants to thank Betkwoski, Hallam, Grzybek and Walton for speaking up and advocating for action on the fee schedule changes.

Here's what our Executive Director Patrick Campbell said when he addressed the board:

Good afternoon. I’m Patrick Campbell, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a non-profit working to improve our regional air quality since 1969. Thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening.

I am here - again - regarding council’s failure to even discuss the Allegheny County Health Department’s plan to fully fund its Air Quality Program through increasing certain fees imposed on operators.

It should have been a simple, dare we even say boring vote. Because this is not a matter of financial theory. It’s simple: Right now, air quality staff members - inspectors, engineers and attorneys - complete tasks  like ambient air quality models, risk assessments and requests for determinations for permitted Title V facilities.

The Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to sufficiently administer those services and more by charging fees sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program.

The new fee schedule is not punitive. It’s administrative.

The Air Pollution Advisory Committee knew it, so did the Board of Health, environmental nonprofits, local leaders and most importantly the constituents you are sitting here tonight to purportedly represent.

That’s why the proposal swiftly made its way through the proper process – until it got to you.

The matter now sits in committee, we assume to die a slow death.

Meanwhile, your inaction has robbed front-line communities of nearly half a million dollars from the Clean Air Fund that could have funded community projects. Projects that help improve the health and well-being of your constituents will instead be used to help cover administrative costs. You know - those air models, risk assessments, and requests for determinations that we mentioned earlier.

Make no mistake: Your inaction has already had direct consequences. That’s why we are here to demand that you stop hiding behind procedure and straw votes and put the proposal on the next agenda for discussion.

We are here to ensure that you understand the gravity of your dereliction. The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.

Thank you.