Letter to the editor: Allegheny County must take action on air quality

One recent morning when I let my dog out at 6:45 a.m., the air quality was so bad I had to shut the door right behind her. And then I thought, “maybe it’s not even safe for her to go out.”

Looking at Allegheny County’s air quality website, I can see a peak in poor air quality, categorized as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” that day at 8 a.m., measured near my home. The same rating was present for five hours the day before. Why does this persist?

Ten industrial polluters have been identified as responsible for the majority of this pollution. One in three people in Allegheny County lives within 3 miles of one of these facilities. Pollution in Allegheny County has long been linked to higher rates of asthma, and very recently, an increased risk of stroke in adults with atrial fibrillation.

We need the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to do more to stop toxic pollution. We need much stricter pollution limits, significant penalties when these are exceeded, proper permitting action and improved resources for the ACHD. Let Fitzgerald know this matters to you and your family.

Shelley Ross

Regent Square