[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6104522,"mediaKeyId","2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2","parentId",2790661,"title","Residents, environmental groups press council to increase ACHD permit fees, fully staff air program","audioSeconds",2802,"startMs",5304000,"endMs",8106000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2&start=5304&end=8106","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2/thumbnail_5304000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6104522/Allegheny-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-environmental-groups-press-council-to-increase-ACHD-permit-fees-fully-staff-air-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104522-3877abb1b593e5940a90869f0ddaf732/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442765&Signature=o0HOoqPvpLGnLTmx01ByEXqMq2o3rrJoOj8WV6pw7Mn-QSSAZwDgtI5xDFKVv5N-CMYFSkRohaII6xbMJvkpLUTHND2H8jLij2-FvMOPhS9hAO1zy3JnHEIcf~0TQZZHx5bog3wwsBbksfxFgz6qs9WtcIga977yL58RMkyRnT-A3UbkyP1mbOU7u-IFFzuWKNEjV~cbC-qLjaqneb5jeggTrho10UH790UusGnGUW9~YdV6VxqF9p6CzXua7~cnPQXWq-1CoZT49RzPmEL6ztvzFN297xYqsw2pBK5YPcTIdJxd-2gLe22fQ7eI-4sqflAqUBZxhCJmVhPo9wo5sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Allegheny County, PA","date","2025-03-27T09:06:16.477Z","article","Dozens of residents and environmental advocates told Allegheny County Council on March 26 that the Allegheny County Health Department’s air program needs dedicated funding and staff to enforce permits and protect public health, pressing council to advance a permit-fee increase proposal that has been under committee review.

Why it matters: Commenters said inadequate ACHD staffing and years of underfunding have left the county unable to issue, monitor and enforce air permits fully under the federal Clean Air Act. Several speakers tied the problem to local impacts in the Mon Valley after the 2018 U.S. Steel fire and cited an EPA Title V audit that identified staffing and fee-structure concerns.

Speakers and core arguments
- Lisa Graves Marcucci urged action and cited the U.S. EPA’s audit of ACHD’s Title V program, quoting the audit’s language that the permitting workload exceeds staffing and warning that “If ACHD does not demonstrate adequate progress on resolving these identified issues in this report, EPA will consider issuing a notice of deficiency.” She asked which positions ACHD proposed not to fill and whether leaving those vacancies would risk federal noncompliance.

- Zach Barber, a local organizer and former air-quality advocate, said permit fees are the statutory funding mechanism for Title V programs and said increased fees are necessary to hire the inspectors, engineers and attorneys needed for permitting, monitoring and enforcement.

- Multiple speakers from Mon Valley communities said they experience persistent odors and emissions since the 2018 fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton coke works; one speaker said private testing found benzene at levels of concern and reported high soil lead and arsenic levels on private property. Those speakers urged the county to hold polluters accountable and to pass the fee increase so ACHD can act.

- Representatives of environmental nonprofits, including PennFuture and the Group Against Smog and Pollution, and faith and civic leaders called on council to pass the fee schedule to fulfill the county’s trustee duties under Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment (Article I, Section 27) and to prevent the use of the clean-air fund balance as an operational stopgap.

Council procedure and solicitor guidance
A council member asked to amend the agenda to bring the permit-fee ordinance out of committee for an immediate vote; the solicitor advised that taking up items not posted on the agenda could violate the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, so the council did not proceed to vote that night. Advocates in the audience urged faster action, saying delays reduce community trust and divert clean-air funds away from community projects.

What advocates want
Speakers asked council to: advance the revised Title V permit-fee ordinance; ensure ACHD hires permitting engineers and inspectors identified by EPA as a priority; and preserve clean-air fund dollars for community remediation projects rather than using that balance to cover program administration.

Selected direct quotes
\"If ACHD does not demonstrate adequate progress on resolving these identified issues in this report, EPA will consider issuing a notice of deficiency in the future,\" read Lisa Graves Marcucci, citing the EPA audit.

\"These polluter-pays permit fees are legally required and critical for our health,\" said Zach Barber.

\"We are asking you to vote now to increase these fees and give our community the protection we deserve,\" said Natalie Davidson of PennFuture.

Next steps
The permit-fee proposal remained in committee at the close of the March 26 meeting. Council members and the solicitor said any vote to consider items not posted on the meeting agenda could violate the Sunshine Act, so the substantive permit-fee decision will await a properly posted meeting agenda, committee action or future vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple residents, public-health and environmental advocates urged County Council to advance an ordinance to raise Title V air-permit fees so the Allegheny County Health Department can hire inspectors and engineers, citing an EPA audit finding staffing shortfalls and health impacts in the Mon Valley.","taxTitle","Allegheny County, Pennsylvania","taxId",2935,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6104526,"Council approves health department food-safety rule revisions; forwards three juvenile advisory recommendations",67,5071000,5138000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2&start=5071&end=5138","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2/thumbnail_5071000.jpg","/articles/6104526/Allegheny-County/Pennsylvania/Council-approves-health-department-food-safety-rule-revisions-forwards-three-juvenile-advisory-recommendations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104526-811a1f99a2025963b7c066e8bc6839fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442765&Signature=C22zoxCqGplyBDNUnLiaBYD5trBrjIOUStQ~jPhQvqYkTOZjQU~egEb1b-0M7uK413CL8TEnjV8fEsvD1XR7HpkwipG1AwaLGoEnVC4IueNRDeILaueGH0zbcF5HGeSjWmYDBqBGnYw~q3Luo0qNsEONgBmCSrf7ZH5m2RIF4LZMgsh~ZYZN8jb~P7EAhUEmKRYEJvC8rEZlY1zYbirjDjIfFOCn4~hQwvqIvrq5h70FKN7VnVf0qZY8FzNCJaYF-EqsqOoJhJA0TMuOBSgN5GZ5Fi-8UEH1YPsOJ-55WZ2KkfSdVZPAFviuz26oprkfalEzpJglmiDIf9z9DM4x1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Allegheny County Council conducted votes on several items during its March 26 meeting, approving a health-department food-safety rule revision and transmitting three recommended citizen appointments for the juvenile detention advisory board to the chief executive, among other routine actions.

The most substantive roll-call vote ratified revisions to Article 3 of the Allegheny County Health Department rules and regulations concerning food safety. The committee on health and human services had approved the revisions on March 19 and the full council passed the ordinance on second reading by roll call.

Council also voted to forward three names to the county executive as the court-directed recommendations for one citizen appointment to the Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors. The three recommendations (one vote per nominee) were: Dr. Terry Colin Gilmore; Rabbi Moshe Meyer Vogel; and Veil Davis. Each recommendation was advanced by council vote and will be delivered to the chief executive, who is to select one of the three as the citizen member per the court ruling described on the record.

Other procedural actions
Council approved the minutes of the Feb. 25 regular meeting, referred a set of new ordinances and resolutions to committee, and received the executive’s monthly communication summarizing approved executive actions for February 2025. Multiple transactions were read into the record and sent to their respective committees for further consideration.

Votes, tallies and outcomes (selected)
- Ordinance (Article 3 — ACHD food safety rules): Passed by roll call, 15–0 (yes 15, no 0). The matter had an affirmative committee recommendation from health and human services.
- Recommendation: Dr. Terry Colin Gilmore to Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors: Passed by roll call, 14–1 (yes 14, no 1). Council recorded a roll-call vote with Councilman Walton as the lone “no.”
- Recommendation: Rabbi Moshe Meyer Vogel to Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors: Passed by voice vote (motion carried). The council recorded the recommendation and will forward the name to the chief executive for selection.
- Recommendation: Veil Davis to Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors: Passed by voice vote (motion carried). The council recorded the recommendation and will forward the name to the chief executive for selection.
- Approval of minutes (02/25/2025): Motion carried by voice vote.

What happens next
By the court’s direction, council forwarded the three recommended names for the juvenile detention advisory board to the chief executive, who must choose one appointee from the three. The food-safety ordinance will be enacted according to county legislative procedures. Several other ordinances and resolutions introduced on March 26 were referred to committee for further review. No additional votes were held on permit-fee legislation during this meeting; an attempt to amend the agenda to bring additional items to a vote was not advanced after a solicitor’s advisory that moving items not posted on the agenda could violate the Sunshine Act.","At the March 26 meeting County Council approved revisions to Allegheny County Health Department food-safety rules, and by roll call recommended three candidates for the Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors to the chief executive; several other agenda items were referred to committee.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6104530,"Allegheny County executive outlines parks, jail, workforce and budget priorities in quarterly address",1791,395000,2186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2&start=395&end=2186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790661-23d004357109b60d3cd21ca78f418bf2/thumbnail_395000.jpg","/articles/6104530/Allegheny-County/Pennsylvania/Allegheny-County-executive-outlines-parks-jail-workforce-and-budget-priorities-in-quarterly-address","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104530-6013b5989ae68f8ff747761c4ee0f400/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442765&Signature=jWhLZYRHfD7a0dBWD0SnPaCZw3B~agob6K3KP215bUb0bbSfkB8Wc0TZ0d7WbbR2db1HhukBeNHuKe7xXAle0aVHj-SmRcMPpbDrJYcPRvSRQR2xcqdN0e6yWifa09H~XJnr2dF9tRaW7xcJws3u~KX4foV4c~VFlaNwCYT07pBzePHP5JoiI18n9ymwR0IG3epq7nFFeIaGPVFjYvCysiR5aArWM8XTiZACPn7NNnctQkHC-vl6vB8MYcgTa9ByQMntEp8B2PW0rpGWVyEY2XfzvsVZzOYFXi7wsbOjYWqP-9fuxQ5nkcO0h-HPCFVPzBTm~K5rCQ1NXD2hBGe9EQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Executive Sarah Annemirotto delivered her first quarterly address of 2025 to Allegheny County Council on March 26, outlining departmental updates on parks and public works, workforce initiatives, corrections and human services, and economic development while warning of possible federal funding cuts.

The address focused on concrete county projects and administration priorities. Annemirotto said the county would add two public flush restrooms, expand pickleball and ADA access at county parks, continue work on the Armstrong Tunnel rehabilitation, and begin construction on a Settlers Cabin paved ADA trail in spring. She also detailed workforce efforts including negotiated union contracts, a tuition partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County and a new jobs portal for federal workers.

Why it matters: The executive framed these items as investments to improve services for residents and to strengthen the county’s economic position. She also flagged potential federal funding reductions that she said could affect planned projects and social service funding, underscoring a budgetary risk that could require future county adjustments.

Announced parks and public-works projects and operations
Annemirotto highlighted wins for the county parks system: Boyce Park saw higher winter attendance for skiing and tubing, South Park will gain an improved pickleball court complex with lighting and enhanced parking, and the Settlers Cabin ADA trail will move to construction in April or May. She said two new flush restrooms will be added — one near Boyce Park’s climbing wall and one at South Park’s Black and Gold Playground — and encouraged lifeguard recruitment for the season. Public works statistics were presented in the address: the county deployed 53 drivers for winter operations who logged 29,224 hours, used 13,311 tons of salt and 900 gallons of calcium to clear snow, and the administration received nine snow-and-ice complaints for the season.

Corrections and human services updates
Annemirotto welcomed Warden Trevor Wingard at the Allegheny County Jail and said the jail’s National Commission on Correctional Healthcare accreditation was renewed in January. She described operational changes at the jail, including a new command structure and a planned volunteer banquet on April 23, and said the county is expanding medication for opioid use disorder inside the jail — year to date the county has increased the number of incarcerated individuals receiving medication for opioid use disorder by 28 percent compared with the prior year.

On homelessness and shelter capacity, the executive credited the Department of Human Services (DHS) and community partners for expanding winter shelter beds and reported progress on the county’s 505 plan with more than 233 units created and more than 369 people housed through that initiative. She also said veteran services have been moved into DHS to centralize supports for veterans.

Workforce and education
The administration said it reached agreements with multiple unions to improve wages and reduce reliance on expensive contractors, and announced a tuition benefit partnership with CCAC for county employees. Annemirotto described a hires-focused executive order with additional workforce benefits under development, including childcare and transit options for employees.

Economic development, large events and grants
Annemirotto described distribution of settlement funds from the Mon Valley U.S. Steel matter and noted $10.48 million in GEDTF funds awarded to 72 community projects across the county. She previewed a countywide comprehensive-plan public-engagement process and referenced major events — the U.S. Open in Oakmont this summer and the NFL draft in 2026 — as opportunities to leverage public investment. She also said she was introducing legislation to create a Manchester Chateau Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) projected to generate jobs and economic output in District 13.

Budget risks from state and federal actions
The executive thanked council for approving the 2025 county budget and described a new quarterly briefing cadence with the county manager and director of finance to track revenues and expenditures. She warned that federal actions — including scenarios she said could reduce Medicaid and other funding streams — would stress county programs. She cited the recent continuing resolution as having eliminated congressionally directed spending (earmarks) that previously included about $3 million for the 505 initiative plus other project-specific funding for workforce training, transit and flood mitigation. Annemirotto said the administration will notify council if federal cuts materially affect the county’s finances.

Questions from council and next steps
Council members asked about plans to lobby the state for Pittsburgh Regional Transit funding and expressed support for coordinated statewide advocacy; Annemirotto said the administration is working with PRT, advocates and business leaders and will seek council’s help in Harrisburg. Council members also asked for details about expanded shelter capacity and design work for the Schumann Center; staff were asked to provide follow-up information to council.

Annemirotto concluded by thanking county staff and council for collaborating on the budget and invited members to upcoming events and briefings. A question-and-answer period followed the address, during which council requested additional detail on transit advocacy, shelter capacity, and implementation timing for the county’s initiatives.","County Executive Sarah Annemirotto used a quarterly address to highlight parks improvements, staffing and benefits initiatives, corrections accreditation and shelter expansions, and warned of potential federal funding losses that could affect local projects and services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents, environmental groups press council to increase ACHD permit fees, fully staff air program

Council approves health department food-safety rule revisions; forwards three juvenile advisory recommendations

Allegheny County executive outlines parks, jail, workforce and budget priorities in quarterly address