October 14, 2021 – Allegheny County’s Monongahela Valley (Mon Valley) was formerly the steel capital of the world. This region, just outside of Pittsburgh, has produced massive quantities of steel over generations. Unfortunately, along with steel production came large quantities of air pollution. Today, much of the prosperity from the industry has moved on from the region, but the industry and the pollution that comes with it still remains. Three facilities remain operational to this day: the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, the Clairton Coke Works, and the Irwin Plant. Together, they make up the Mon Valley Works complex. These facilities emit harmful air pollutants including fine particulates (PM), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3) and benzene.
In recent years, levels of air pollutants have repeatedly exceeded federal health-based standards. Pollution in the Mon Valley is exacerbated by weather inversions that trap emissions in the valley and cause them to become more concentrated closer to where people breathe. The constant pollution from the operation of the U.S. Steel facilities combined with regular weather inversions leads to bad air quality that negatively impacts the health of nearby residents, many of whom live in environmental justice communities.
With support from the Clean Air Council and allies Clean Water Action and One Pennsylvania, residents of Mon Valley communities near the US Steel facilities have banded together to form the grassroots community organization Valley Clean Air Now (VCAN). VCAN fights for the improved health outcomes that would come from US Steel adhering to its air permit. The Council supports the group by educating residents about the negative health and quality of life impacts from the facilities. VCAN seeks to address the root cause of air pollution by demanding that regulators enforce existing limits on Mon Valley Works facilities and tighten air quality regulations that cover them.
The community group also works to mitigate the negative health impacts residents are already experiencing. This year, the Council worked with VCAN on an initiative to purchase indoor air filters to place in the homes of the most vulnerable community residents. After a pilot project in 2020, residents who received the indoor air filters reported that these filters had a major impact on their health and quality of life. The filters are a valuable educational tool that highlights how air pollution has been impacting the health of local residents. This year, VCAN seeks to expand the pilot beyond the initial community of Clairton to include other impacted municipalities. VCAN has sought funding both from the Allegheny County Health Department Clean Air Fund and the 2019 Community Benefit Trust that are both funded by air pollution fines. To pursue the Benefit Trust money, the Council supported VCAN residents in attending city council meetings in Clairton and Glassport to advocate that some of the funding be used for air filters. The Council also assisted VCAN in meeting with state representatives and county elected officials to discuss the importance of addressing the health impacts of the three Mon Valley Works facilities.
Others in Allegheny County can help these efforts by working with the Council and its neighborhood advocates to urge local elected officials such as the Allegheny County Executive and members of Allegheny County Council to enforce existing air pollution rules and strengthen air quality regulations. The Council is always looking to work with local residents to become advocates in Allegheny County to demand air quality improvements in all corners of the county.
For more information, contact Jay Ting Walker, Advocacy Coordinator, jwalker@cleanair.org
