Friends, we need your help. Here’s what’s going on: A plan to fully fund Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program by making polluters pay is in danger of being derailed by the very companies that foul our skies.
As we told yinz last week, Allegheny County Council was expected to vote on the ACHD proposal, which would increase certain air quality permit fees imposed on polluters. Despite significant public comment (including GASP’s Patrick Campbell) calling for members to vote yes on the fee schedule changes, that didn’t happen.
Instead, they punted the thing back to the Health and Human Services Committee for further discussion.
Full disclosure: We are hearing through back channels that one of Allegheny County’s most prolific polluters - U.S. Steel - has enlisted its allies to try to tank the proposal, which has already been approved by the Board of Health and subject to a public comment period where it received robust support from residents, nonprofits and elected officials alike.
“The permit fee schedule vote should honestly be a no-brainer,” Campbell said. “But industry operatives are cherry-picking percentages from the plan and conflating the permit fee schedule changes with Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s budget to alarm council members enough for them to make a knee-jerk reaction and vote no on the issue.”
He added: “We want to be very clear here: This isn’t some new tax plan. This isn’t something that residents will pay for. These are existing fees that ACHD is trying to increase because they simply do not cover the costs associated with running the program.”
And guess what?
ACHD has been delegated the authority to enforce federal and state laws and regulations regarding air pollution controls in Allegheny County like the Clean Air Act. And the Clean Air Act requires that ACHD have adequate funding and personnel to carry out its duties.
In fact, the law requires ACHD to charge Title V facilities fees that are sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program.
Bottom line? We need to let county council know loud and clear that:
Air quality remains one of Allegheny County’s leading public health issues.
Residents like you are impacted by air quality issues and deserve a fully funded Air Quality Program - one with the staffing and resources to enforce all applicable laws that protect our public health.
That council needs to vote YES on the permit fee increases that are necessary for ACHD to carry out its duties - it’s literally the law.
How can you do that? Easy. Reach out to county council and let them know how you feel! It doesn’t need to be anything super technical. An email introducing yourself, how you have been impacted by our county’s poor air quality, and that you need them to vote YES on the proposal to fully fund the Air Quality Program.
All you have to do is click here and let ‘er rip.
Have questions? Need a little more info or help getting started? Please don’t hesitate to hit up our communications manager Amanda Gillooly at amanda@gasp-pgh.org. She can help you craft and submit your comments.