Enviros Will Sue Over Allegheny Co. Inactivity on Air Pollution Permits

"The Clean Air Council has filed notice it will sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unless the agency forces the Allegheny County Health Department to review and issue long overdue operating permits for many of the county’s biggest industrial air pollution sources.

The statewide council announced the filing Monday, saying the EPA hadn’t acted on its October 2016 petition that sought sanctions against the health department for being chronically late in issuing or renewing the Title V permits. The 180-day notice is a requirement for filing a lawsuit in federal court.

According to the council’s October 2016 petition, the health department failed to process operating permits for 22 of the county’s 32 major air pollution sources within 18 months as the federal Clean Air Act requires, with two permit renewals pending for more than 20 years and another for 19."

Don Hopey reports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette March 5, 2018.