During the pandemic, I’ve been walking in Frick Park daily for physical exercise. Imagine how I felt when I learned that something I’m doing for my health could actually be dangerous!

Allegheny County is in the top 2% of counties in the U.S. for cancer risk from air pollution, meaning that it’s safer to breathe almost anywhere else in our country. More than 70% of the industrial air pollution reported in Allegheny County comes from just 10 sources.

I’m calling on the Allegheny County Health Department to take bold action to protect our health and to clean up the air we all breathe. I’m also calling on County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to rein in industrial pollution by working with the Health Department to make sure industrial polluters have up-to-date Clean Air Act permits, set stricter pollution limits, enforce meaningful penalties for illegal pollution and give our environmental watchdogs the resources they need to work effectively.

We could all breathe easier if we cleaned up our air. Thank you.

Gaye Fifer

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