Action News Investigates has learned state and local regulators have allowed some polluters in Western Pennsylvania to go more than a decade without renewing their air quality permits.This is despite federal rules that require regulators to review air quality permits within 18 months.A watchdog group said that could make it hard to know exactly what pollutants some plants are emitting.Allegheny County’s air permit backlog includes U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, Irvin Works in West Mifflin and Neville Chemical on Neville Island.Edgar Thomson Works and Neville Chemical filed their permit renewals in 2020, and Irvin Works filed its application in 2021. The Allegheny County Health Department said it is still reviewing the permits.Backlogs are nothing new for the health department. In 2018 the EPA criticized the backlog, and the department promised to fix it by 2021.“This is a very common problem, a resource-driven problem, and it’s one that a lot of places are trying to address. We are addressing it, but we’re not quite as far as we want it to be,” said Geoff Rabinowitz, deputy director of the health department.He said the department continues to enforce air quality rules for plants that have expired permits.But John Baillie of the Group Against Smog and Pollution said the backlog could put the public at risk.“It can be really difficult to know what’s going on at the site. And if you don’t know what’s going on at the site, then, of course, it’s difficult to know whether they’re following the rules that apply to them,” Baillie said.The state Department of Environmental Protection has its own backlog, including the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver, whose permit expired in 2020.The air permit for Waste Management’s Arden Landfill in Washington County expired in 2006.It’s also been 17 years since Consol Energy’s permit expired for the Bailey Mine prep plant in Greene County.In all three cases, the companies submitted their applications on time. But DEP has failed to approve them.“It’s a long time. A lot can change in 17 years,” Baillie said.DEP spokesperson Lauren Camarda said permits for all three facilities are under review.A statement from Camarda said in part, “After the renewal applications are submitted, applicants often submit significant updates to the application which significantly change the review and reset the review clock.”“Do they have enough resources to cover this obligation? And if they don’t have enough resources to cover this obligation, it becomes fair to ask what else they might not have the resources to cover,” Baillie said.
Action News Investigates has learned state and local regulators have allowed some polluters in Western Pennsylvania to go more than a decade without renewing their air quality permits.
This is despite federal rules that require regulators to review air quality permits within 18 months.
A watchdog group said that could make it hard to know exactly what pollutants some plants are emitting.
Allegheny County’s air permit backlog includes U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, Irvin Works in West Mifflin and Neville Chemical on Neville Island.
Edgar Thomson Works and Neville Chemical filed their permit renewals in 2020, and Irvin Works filed its application in 2021. The Allegheny County Health Department said it is still reviewing the permits.
Backlogs are nothing new for the health department. In 2018 the EPA criticized the backlog, and the department promised to fix it by 2021.
“This is a very common problem, a resource-driven problem, and it’s one that a lot of places are trying to address. We are addressing it, but we’re not quite as far as we want it to be,” said Geoff Rabinowitz, deputy director of the health department.
He said the department continues to enforce air quality rules for plants that have expired permits.
But John Baillie of the Group Against Smog and Pollution said the backlog could put the public at risk.
“It can be really difficult to know what’s going on at the site. And if you don’t know what’s going on at the site, then, of course, it’s difficult to know whether they’re following the rules that apply to them,” Baillie said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has its own backlog, including the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver, whose permit expired in 2020.
The air permit for Waste Management’s Arden Landfill in Washington County expired in 2006.
It’s also been 17 years since Consol Energy’s permit expired for the Bailey Mine prep plant in Greene County.
In all three cases, the companies submitted their applications on time. But DEP has failed to approve them.
“It’s a long time. A lot can change in 17 years,” Baillie said.
DEP spokesperson Lauren Camarda said permits for all three facilities are under review.
A statement from Camarda said in part, “After the renewal applications are submitted, applicants often submit significant updates to the application which significantly change the review and reset the review clock.”
“Do they have enough resources to cover this obligation? And if they don’t have enough resources to cover this obligation, it becomes fair to ask what else they might not have the resources to cover,” Baillie said.
