Residents, health advocates press Allegheny County Council to advance air-permit fee increases

Allegheny County residents, public-health advocates and environmental groups urged County Council to place a proposed increase to Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) permit fees on an upcoming agenda so the department can secure funding for permitting, monitoring and enforcement.

Advocates said the fee increases are an administrative step to ensure ACHD can write, monitor and enforce permits that limit industrial air pollution and protect public health. They urged councilmembers to move the proposal from committee to a public hearing and vote.

The matter matters because ACHD’s ability to review permits, model air quality and enforce conditions depends on stable funding. Speakers said the proposed permit fee schedule would shift the cost of administering the air program to polluters rather than taxpayers and would finance staff and technical…