All Allegheny County air quality monitors meet federal standards, a first in 2 decades

For the first time since air-quality standards were set more than 20 years ago, Allegheny County’s eight monitors have met federal air quality standards, the county said Tuesday.

The accomplishment means that the region is now within the desired benchmarks for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10). The Environmental Protection Agency set the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter in 1999.

“This achievement comes after years of hard work by the Health Department, federal and state agencies and local industry to clean up the air in Allegheny County,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, the Allegheny County Health Department director. “But we have more work to do, and the Health Department is committed to ensuring everyone in Allegheny County has clean air to breathe.”

The county says based on preliminary data from the department’s monitors, it is within EPA standards for both the annual and 24-hour standards for PM2.5. The data is being certified for submission to the EPA for approval.

The Health Department has eight air quality monitors that record PM2.5 readings in Liberty, Avalon, Lawrenceville, South Fayette, Harrison, Clairton, North Braddock and along the Parkway East. Air quality recorded at the Liberty monitor, located near U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, is the only monitor that has kept Allegheny County from attaining the EPA standard in recent years, according to the Health Department.

While saying air quality improved dramatically in 2020, officials emphasized the county was still on track to attain the federal standards even without lower levels of pollution due to the pandemic.

“This is exciting news for our county,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Acting as the EPA’s enforcement arm, the Health Department has continued to use its regulatory power to improve air quality. It’s extremely rewarding to see this measure of success.”

Still, the Breathe Project, a self-described clearing house for information on air quality in southwestern Pennsylvania, questioned the data - saying there was little relief from weather-related inversions and pollution exceedances during the past year for Mon Valley residents.

“While news of reductions in air pollution in our county is always welcomed, the Breath Project wants to make it clear that any victory celebrations would be premature and potentially misleading because of the particular circumstances in the data released in the county’s statement,” said Matthew Mehalik, Executive Director of the Breathe Project.

The Health Department said it’s continuing efforts to address and improve air quality. Currently, coke oven regulations are going through a public comment process and the department is also working on a rule that would require companies to further limit emission during weather-related pollution episodes.