GASP Airs Concerns Over Proposed Settlement Agreement Between U.S. Steel-ACHD at Public Hearing in Clairton (VIDEO)

GASP Shares Concerns About the Proposed Settlement Agreement Between U.S. Steel & ACHD at Hearing

GASP joined the more than 200 people who packed the Clairton Municipal Building Tuesday night, where elected officials, residents, environmental activists and U.S. Steel loyalists spoke out about the proposed settlement between the company and the Allegheny County Health Department.

The agreement would fine the corporation more than $2.7 million, 90 percent of which would be funneled to a community benefit trust per the terms of the agreement, and addresses three enforcement orders and one administrative order that ACHD issued to U.S. Steel in 2018-19.

In addition to the fine, the terms of the proposed settlement would put the company on the hook for millions of dollars in facility upgrades designed to reduce U.S. Steel’s energy consumption and increase its ability to comply with air emissions standards.

Our staff attorney, John Baillie, provided public comment on our behalf, using his three minutes to express concern over a lack of clarity and details regarding the community trust, including how beneficiaries are determined. He also questioned the process by which projects will be funded, and how the money will be doled out.

GASP also submitted formal written comments. They can be viewed here.

More details about the public hearing, as well as links to associated media coverage and to a full video of the hearing can be found on our blog.

GASP also live-tweeted the event. Those updates can be viewed on our Twitter page.

SAVE THE DATE(S): ACHD Announces Public Hearing; Climate Change Town Hall Slated

Mark-your-calendars alert: You're invited to two events slated for later this month. Please join us!

The first event is a Climate Change Town Hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle. It will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall. Here's what you need to know if you want to go.

The second event was recently announced by the Allegheny County Board of Health, which will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m Aug. 26 to take testimony on proposed modifications to Allegheny County Health Department Article XXI, which will revise several sections related to air quality installation and operating permit fees. More details can be found on the GASP blog.

DEP Issues Three New Notice of Violation Letters to Erie Coke Corp.

The Department of Environmental Protection this week posted three Notice of Violation letters it issued to Erie Coke Corp. The letters are dated July 25, and address violations of air quality regulations that occurred on July 8, July 9, and July 12.

According to the letters:

Visible fugitive air contaminants of greater than 20 percent opacity were observed escaping from the coke-side shed. DEP noted that the violation was made during an inspection July 8.
Then on July 9, DEP inspectors observed fugitive particulate matter emissions visible outside Erie Coke’s property.
On July 12, visible fugitive air contaminants greater than 20 percent opacity were observed escaping from the coke-side shed.

The notice of violation letters come in the wake of hearings before both the state Environmental Hearing Board and the Court of Common pleas. The EHB case addresses the company’s appeal of DEP’s July 1 notice that it would be denying ECC’s Title V operating permit following what the department deemed ongoing air emissions compliance issues. In the Common Pleas case, the DEP is seeking closure of the plant.

More on Erie Coke's ongoing compliance and legal issues can be found here.

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