Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato this week accepted the final report and recommendations of the Environmental Air Quality Task Force.

The group was appointed in August 2008 and charged with examining the County’s Air Quality Program and recommending additional steps to improve regional air quality, increase services to stakeholders, and boost operating efficiencies. Task force members represented a broad range of interests, including environmental groups, business, government and academia.

“My administration has been committed to strengthening our Air Quality Program and ensuring that it has the necessary resources to perform its functions,” said Onorato. “As part of our ongoing improvement efforts, my Environmental Air Quality Task Force reviewed aspects of the Air Quality Program, including organization, regulations, permitting, appeals, compliance and enforcement. The task force’s recommendations will result in cleaner air, more efficient permitting, and more transparency and accountability.”

The task force’s recommendations include:

-- Adopting Pennsylvania’s air quality regulations by reference, thereby ensuring that Allegheny County is always in compliance with state requirements;

-- Creating a new section in the Allegheny County Code to clearly identify air quality provisions and regulations that are more stringent than state requirements;

-- Adopting permitting procedures developed by the Department of Environmental Protection to promote certainty, efficiency, and transparency;

-- Developing aggressive schedules to eliminate the backlog of pending operating and construction permit applications;

-- Issuing 90 percent of operating and construction permits and Requests for Determination on an annual basis;

-- Seeking a revision to Commonwealth law to allow the Environmental Hearing Board to hear and decide appeals for County permits;

-- Integrating the County’s air monitoring reporting system with DEP’s system so that County data is available on a real-time basis;

-- Conducting a comprehensive, independent evaluation of the County’s air monitors; and
-- Inspecting all major sources at least once per year and minor sources at least once every two years.

Onorato also announced that he has asked the Board of Health to create an ad hoc advisory committee to review the County’s air toxic guidelines, which regulate the release of hazardous chemicals and pollutants into the atmosphere. The County Executive has requested the board to establish a diverse and balanced committee that includes public health and medical experts, as well as representatives from environmental groups, business, industry, government and academia.

“During this decade, Allegheny County has made great strides in cleaning our land and water, and now it’s time to review our air toxic guidelines to further build on our history of clean air regulation,” added Onorato. “I am asking the Board of Health to look at best practices around the country that protect residents, while also allowing manufacturing and industrial sectors to thrive and grow.”

The County Executive is also directing funds derived from the Clean Air Act and Title V programs to upgrade the Air Quality Program’s facilities in Lawrenceville.

During his administration, Onorato has adjusted salaries in the Air Quality Program to be more competitive with similar governmental organizations that provide the same services. The County has named a permanent Air Quality Manager and created 12 new positions in the Air Quality Program, including three in the Planning/Analysis Section, four in the Permitting Section, four in the Monitoring Section, and one in the Enforcement Section.

The County has also created a formal professional training program for Air Quality employees in collaboration with DEP to insure the highest possible expertise.

The County is working to upgrade the Air Quality Program’s permit management and tracking system and to model its public information website after DEP’s eFACTS (Environment, Facility, Application, Compliance Tracking System) website.

The County is also working to make air quality technology and software compatible with existing state and federal technologies in order to provide seamless information sharing.

A copy of the report is available online.