Pennsylvania Bucket Brigade

Local Bellevue Resident Tells the Board of Health: Make Sure Shenango Cleans Up Their Act

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:23:07 +0000

Bellevue resident and parent Bill Bartlett urged the Board of Health yesterday to take strong action against Shenango for their recent air pollution violations. He is concerned about the health and safety of all the residents in the area, especially the children. Paying the fines is important but even more so is compliance.

Read . . . → Read More: Local Bellevue Resident Tells the Board of Health: Make Sure Shenango Cleans Up Their Act

Shenango, Why Are You Being a Bad Neighbor?

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:48:30 +0000

Neville Island area residents gathered at the front gates of Shenango coke works on Wednesday, December 14th to deliver a letter requesting the company hold a public accountability meeting. Community members are concerned about the extreme number of air quality violations that have occurred at the facility over the past year. Shenango was fined $114,000 for 114 violations by the Allegheny County Health Department back in August and there have been at least 40 more recorded violations since then.

The company has appealed the fines instead of stepping up, being a good neighbor, and fixing the problems. Plant manager Steve Guzy met the group of about a dozen community members and activists at the gate, and accepted the letter. He said they were working to fix the problems, and would meet with area residents when the timing was better.

We need the company to talk to us now! We need to know why Shenango is appealing the fines instead of fixing the problems!

Citizens are Keeping Tabs on Shenango

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:09:28 +0000

Citizen smoke readers have been watching the Shenango coke works on Neville Island for years, but they have been working overtime so to say since the recent increase in violations. In August, Shenango was fined $114,000 by the Allegheny County Health Department for 114 air pollution violations since the beginning of 2011.

Learn more about what these smoke readers are doing at: http://www.wtae.com/news/29927893/detail.html#.Tt1lMU-EUXs.facebook

If you are interested in learning how to smoke read, contact Sue Seppi at sue@gasp-pgh.org.

Avalon Claims the Title of Dirtiest Air in Allegheny County

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:30:10 +0000

Residents of Avalon and other communities surrounding Neville Island have been concerned about the air quality in the area for a long time. Now they have the official word to confirm their fears. Avalon has surpassed Clairton to rank number one for dirty air in Allegheny County. Not a number one ranking anyone wants.

Check out the follow-up article that gives resident’s perspectives: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11335/1193552-54.stm

We’re Keeping up the Pressure on the Board of Health

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:37:22 +0000

At the Allegheny County Board of Health meeting on November 2nd, Clean Water Action, along with support from GASP, Sierra Club, Women for a Healthy Environment, Pittsburgh United and Penn Future, delivered an “urgent reminder” that we want the Air Toxics Guidelines updated. We also gave them over 480 postcards from residents all over . . . → Read More: We’re Keeping up the Pressure on the Board of Health

Eastman Chemical in West Elizabeth Sued for Pollution Violations

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:04:53 +0000

“A West Elizabeth chemical plant has repeatedly failed since 2001 to either keep its air pollution controls within their required parameters or failed to monitor those parameters, the Environmental Protection Agency and Allegheny County Health Department claim in a federal lawsuit filed today.

The agencies claim that Eastman Chemical Resins Inc., a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Co. of Kingsport, Tenn., keeps allowing its condensers to warm up, which reduces their ability to remove volatile organic compounds from the air coming out of several of the company`s industrial units along the Monongahela River.

Volatile organic compounds are gases emitted by a wide range of products, including paints, adhesives, solvents and petroleum products such as gasoline and kerosene. They react with nitrogen oxide to form ozone, which is more commonly known as smog when it`s at ground level.

Wanda Valentine, a spokeswoman for Eastman Chemical, said the company is spending about $1.7 million to $2.7 million to fix the problems highlighted in the lawsuit and already has agreed to pay $632,000 in fines and penalties to settle the lawsuit.

‘We`re very conscientious about protecting human health and the environment,’ she said.

The EPA and Health Department filed the 143-page consent decree today after filing the lawsuit, court records show.

The 240 employees at the West Elizabeth plant produce a wide range of hydrocarbon products that other companies use to make products that include tapes, labels and glue sticks.

The facility has been a ‘major supplier for the adhesives and coatings industry since the 1950s,’ she said.

Originally part of Eastman Kodak, Eastman Chemical Co. has been an independent company since 1994, Valentine said.”

Neville Island Coke Plant Fined $114,000

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:38:52 +0000

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported today that Shenango has been fined $114,000 for air pollution violations. In addition to the fine issued by the Allegheny County Health Department, the coke plant must submit a plan by Sept. 26th to detail how they will not exceed permitted pollution levels in the future.

Click here to . . . → Read More: Neville Island Coke Plant Fined $114,000

Buisnesses and Organizations Urge Board of Health for Updated Air Toxics Guidelines

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:39:46 +0000

So far 27 businesses and organizations have signed on to a letter urging the Allegheny County Board of Health to pass updated Air Toxics Guidelines. The current in-use document has not been updated since 1988 and is based on out-of-date science. The committee working on revisions is almost finished and we need to make sure the Board of Health passes it.

Thanks to all who have added their voice so far!

ATG_BOH_Org Sign-on Letter

If your organization or business is interested in signing, please contact Julie St. John at jstjohn@cleanwater.org or 412.765.3053 ext. 214.

Neville Area Resident Delivers BOH Public Statements About Air Toxics

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:24:36 +0000

Clean Water Action member and GASP Board member Ted Popovich delivered the comments Allegheny County residents made to the Air Toxics Guidelines Committee on May 4th, 2011 in Avalon to the Board of Health at their meeting on July 13.

Thanks Ted for making sure the entire Board of Health knows what citizens want to see in the new Air Toxics Guidelines!

Diesel Victory!

tomhoffman@cleanwater.org — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:33:03 +0000

Landmark legislation has passed Pittsburgh City Council and ensures taxpayer supported development will have to drastically reduce diesel emissions. The bill requires a portion of the public subsidy be spent on diesel retrofits that can reduce the soot from heavy equipment by 85% or more. A unique coalition of labor, environmental, faith and community groups supported this, the third in a series of bills requiring taxpayer subsidized projects to return real benefits to the community

The coalition, a unique group of 13 unions, environmental, faith based and community organizations known as Pittsburgh UNITED, has been encouraging Pittsburgh City Council for over two years to pass a “trifecta” of policies. In addition to the diesel emission reductions it will also require taxpayer supported development projects to provide decent wages in the jobs created and drastically reduce storm-water runoff from the development sites.

The clean air legislation is particularly important for Pittsburgh, who’s poor air quality has been the subject of numerous reports and rankings and has held back development and attempts to promote Pittsburgh as a city that is a place to raise a family. Diesel emissions from construction vehicles account for about 25% of the diesel particulate matter in the region’s air. The legislation, which affects only publicly funded projects, is expected to result in an overall reduction of construction related diesel particulate pollution as the retrofit vehicles are kept in use after the initial retrofit for other projects.

Health professionals and clean air advocates are particularly interested in measures such as this since diesel exhaust contains over 40 toxic air contaminants, carcinogens, ozone-forming elements, as well as fine particulate matter. Many consider Diesel exhaust a major public health threat as exposure to fine particles causes asthma attacks, heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes, and premature deaths.

In addition to being a public health risk, the black carbon found in diesel pollution is a potent global warming agent. Reductions in soot will also help Pittsburgh reduce its carbon footprint and make a real contribution to being a green city.

With the passage of this third bill, Pittsburgh is leading the way ensuring taxpayer funded development brings benefit back to the entire community. Pittsburgh UNITED led the successful fight for a Community Benefits Agreement with the Penguins, the City and the County around the building of the new Arena and development of the lower Hill District. Founded in 2007 Pittsburgh UNITED is an coalition of faith, labor, environmental and community groups working to ensure that publicly funded development benefits all the region’s residents, not just a few. Coalition partners include ACTION United, Clean Water Action, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Hill District Consensus Group, Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, Pittsburgh Branch NAACP, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, SEIU, Sierra Club, United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 23, Ironworkers Local 3, Just Harvest and United Steelworkers.