skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails; Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits; NY elected officials work to electrify municipal buildings; Need a mental health boost? Talking hot dog is here.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress passes a last-minute budget stopgap. Trump's second-term tariffs could harm farmers and, future budget cuts could reduce much-needed federal programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Allegheny County Residents Demand Action on Air Pollution

play audio
Play

Monday, January 13, 2020   

PITTSBURGH -- Allegheny County was once again among the five worst counties in the country for air quality over the Christmas holidays, and area residents are demanding action.

From Dec. 21 to 26, a weather system trapped pollution over the region, forcing people to breathe some of the worst air in the country.

And it wasn't the first time. Violations of air quality standards frequently make the county out of compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.

According to Matthew Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project, poor air quality is a chronic problem that has plagued Allegheny County for decades.

"We have large, industrial facilities that leak because they're old and not well maintained and result in emissions occurring all the time," he states.

Residents and environmentalists held a news conference Friday to demand that the Allegheny County Health Department update emission regulations and hold U.S. Steel accountable.

Mehalik says U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works emits more particulate matter than any other source in Allegheny County.

"It emits hydrogen sulfide, it emits sulfur dioxide, and it is one of the main reasons why our county is not in compliance with the Clean Air Act and hasn't been," Mehalik points out.

In June of 2018, the county's Health Department said it would move forward with new coke-oven regulations, but they have not yet gone into effect.

Mehalik notes that there is an additional step the Health Department could take when it knows that conditions for bad pollution are ahead.

"They could call up the Clairton Coke Works and have them go on modified production so that the emission levels decrease when they see a weather forecast of inversions coming down the pike," he explains.

On Friday, the Health Department said it would take up new coke-oven regulations and explore instituting a weather-related response plan.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A survey from the American Heart Association revealed 79% of respondents neglect their health during the holidays. Many say they find this time of year more stressful than income tax season.
(deagreez/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday travel is in full swing and for many, so is the stress. The American Heart Association of Missouri has health tips for anyone with heart …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collabo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Christmas less than a week away, experts are giving advice on how seniors and the community can fight against social isolation. A United Health …


Environment

play sound

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

Ithaca, New York, is the first city in the world to commit to electrifying all its buildings. The city is aiming to accomplish the goal by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York lawmakers are focusing on electrifying municipal buildings. Buildings statewide make up 32% of New York's greenhouse gas emissions and …

Social Issues

play sound

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

Social Issues

play sound

This month, an Arizona grand jury indicted two out-of-state residents for cheating the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account program out of more …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021