Plan would require polluters to watch weather
Proposal mandates action for inversions
Big polluters in Allegheny County will need to keep an eye on weather forecasts and reduce emissions that could harm public health under a new regulation proposed by the Allegheny County Health Department.
The Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode Rule, approved for public comment by the county Board of Health on Wednesday, would require major industrial facilities to file air pollution mitigation plans with the county Health Department and take steps to cut back on emissions when temperature inversions, which can trap pollutants at ground level, occur.
Existing facilities would have 90 days after final passage of the rule to submit mitigation plans to the Health Department.
New major or synthetic minor pollution sources must have a mitigation plan in place when they submit initial operating permits.
A second rule would prohibit all individual residential burning during those weather inversions, which can occur on dozens of days a year.
Both rules will first go out for a 30-day public comment period, then would be subject to votes by the Board of Health and Allegheny County Council.
Jim Kelly, Health Department deputy director of environmental health, told the Health Board that meteorological conditions in the southern end of the county have a big impact on air quality.
He said under the proposed rule, industries would be subject to a pollution “watch,” which would put them on notice that higher air pollution levels are forecast, and then a “warning,” when pollution standards are exceeded and the facility must implement its county-approved mitigation plan.
Joylette Portlock, a Health Board member, said she was happy the county is proposing a comprehensive approach to controlling emissions in the heavily industrialized and densely populated Mon Valley.
Rachel Filippini, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution, which has been fighting for better air in the region for more than 50 years, said it’s about time industry was required to take steps to reduce emissions.
“We’re happy the board approved putting these longawaited draft regs out for public
comment, but the real proof is going to be in the plans submitted by industry,” Ms. Filippini said. “What actions will they take to reduce emissions and will those actions be enough to make a difference?”
Amanda Malkowski, a U. S. Steel Co. spokeswoman, said the company supports the current draft of the regulation and advancing the regulations to public comment.
“U.S. Steel has been an active participant in the development of new regulations around inversions, a part of which includes air quality alerts,” Ms. Malkowski said in an emailed statement. “U.S. Steel is committed to working with ACHD and key stakeholders to develop and implement a strategy so all in the regulated community, including U.S. Steel, can do their part to address the air quality issues that result from inversions.”
She stated that the company will continue to work with the Health Department to improve the weather forecasts used to implement the proposed rule, and ensure that all local and regional emissions sources, including mobile sources, are considered.
Inversions are common weather events in the Mon Valley and occur when a layer of warm air overrides a layer of cooler air, trapping pollution close to ground level.
In a related action, the Health Board also approved spending $200,000 from the county’s Clean Air Fund to support and improve community notification of potentially unhealthy air pollution events.
“This is really part of the episode rule,” Mr. Kelly said. “Now we use Allegheny Alerts to provide information to municipalities and industry, but this funding will support community outreach.”
He said the Health Department would be putting out a request for proposals from nonprofits or community organizations to do the outreach work, with grants awarded based on an applicant’s ability to sign people up for the notifications.