The Allegheny County Board of Health will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 to take testimony on the proposed Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Liberty-Clairton, PA and Allegheny County, PA PM2.5 Nonattainment Areas for the 1997/2006/2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The hearing will be held at the Clack Health Center (Building 7, First Floor Conference Room
301 39th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201).

The Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a revision to Allegheny County’s portion of the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the Attainment and Maintenance of the PM2.5 NAAQS.

• Persons wishing to present testimony at the hearing must register using ACHD’s Public Hearing Participation Form or by calling 412-578-8103.
• You must register no less than 24 hours in advance of the hearing.
• Testimony is limited to three minutes.

Click here for more details.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking public comment on Pennsylvania’s 2022 Annual Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan. The plan has been updated to address changes that have been made in the Commonwealth’s ambient air monitoring network and to identify changes that are anticipated to occur in the remainder of 2022 and in 2023.

On Oct. 17, 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated final amendments to the National ambient air monitoring requirements for criteria pollutants at 40 CFR Parts 53 and 58 (relating to ambient air monitoring reference and equivalent methods; and ambient air quality surveillance). See 71 FR 61236 (Oct. 17, 2006). The EPA’s final rule requires state and local agencies to enhance air monitoring to ”improve public health protection and better inform the public about air quality in their communities.”

Under 40 CFR 58.10 (relating to annual monitoring network plan and periodic network assessment), air quality state and local monitoring agencies must adopt an annual air monitoring network plan and make the plan available for public inspection for at least 30 days prior to final submission to the EPA Regional Administrator.

The Plan must include a statement of purpose for each monitor and evidence that siting and operation of each monitor meets Federal requirements. The EPA may also provide an opportunity for review and comment prior to approving or disapproving a state’s monitoring network plan. The Plan was due to the EPA by July 1, 2022. The Department is working as expeditiously as possible to submit the Plan to the EPA.

The Plan is available on the Department’s website at www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Air/BAQ/Pages/default.aspx.

The Department must receive comments no later than Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. Comments, including comments submitted by e-mail, must include the commentator’s name and address. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department’s online eComment tool at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Written comments can also be submitted by e-mail to ecomment@ pa.gov or by mail to the Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Use ”2022 Annual Monitoring Network Plan” as the subject line in written communication.