Beyond air quality

The American Lung Association’s annual report on Pittsburgh air quality again distorts the facts and uses standards created by the ALA — not state or federal regulatory agencies — to come up with the most negative assessment possible (April 21, “Breathing a Little Easier? Annual Report: Air Quality in Region Better But Not Good Enough”).

Is the Pittsburgh metro region one of the dirtiest in the country? Or are Westmoreland, Washington and Armstrong in the group of the cleanest counties in the country for the same pollutant? The ALA report includes the data about the clean air, but it makes sure the headlines are about failing air quality.

The ALA grades the entire 12-county tri-state region based on the readings from a few monitors in Allegheny County. And it discards federal Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards in order to hand out F’s to counties that are in compliance with the Clean Air Act.

Human activity has an effect on the environment. The question is how to address these challenges in a constructive way. The organized labor-business-civic alliance Pittsburgh Works Together used publicly available EPA data to assess the region’s air quality strengths and weaknesses in its report “Clearing the Air,” available on our website www. pghworks.com

Protecting our environment is too important to rely on “reports” and “assessments” from groups that are more interested in pushing an ideological agenda versus focusing on the actual data and truly viable solutions.

THOMAS MELCHER

Co-Chair Pittsburgh Works Together

Green Tree The writer is also business manager of the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council.