Residents and advocates urge council to approve higher industrial air permit fees to fund county program

Allegheny County Council heard public appeals on Jan. 28 to approve proposed increases to industrial air-permit fees so the Allegheny County Health Department can fully staff and operate its Title V air permitting program.

Advocates told the council the department is underfunded and that higher fees on major polluters are needed to address a backlog of permitting and enforcement work. "The health department's operational budget shortfall of nearly $1,850,000 threatens the health of Allegheny County residents," said Jay Ting Walker, outreach coordinator for the Clean Air Council.

Walker said the fee adjustment would require industrial operators to cover a larger share of the costs of permitting and enforcement. "An adequately funded department is critical to protecting health," he said, citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2018 audit that recommended fee adjustments to sustain the county's Title V program.

Why it matters: Speakers said the county's air program has a heavy workload and limited staff, leaving the health department unable to review permit applications, issue permits and conduct enforcement at the level needed to protect public health. Walker also noted that shifting program costs to permittees protects taxpayers from paying for increased public-health impacts tied to pollution.

Margaret Fisher, Democratic committeewoman for the 14th Ward, described personal health concerns linked to local pollution and urged council support. "Please vote yes to increase the fees to cover the cost of establishing permitting and forcing clean air laws so Pittsburgh can live up to being the most livable city," Fisher said, describing respiratory and neurological harms she connects to toxic exposures.

Speakers cited specific financial figures during remarks. The county health department's shortfall was identified as $1,840,920 in public comment; Walker rounded that to "nearly $1,850,000." He also disputed industry claims about the proposal's severity, noting that under the proposed fee schedule US Steel's total Title V fees for its Allegheny County facilities would be about $165,000 a year versus reported 2023 earnings of $2,140,000,000.

What was not decided: The council did not take a vote on the fee proposal during the meeting; the comments were delivered during the public-comment period and aimed at the council and the Health and Human Services Committee, which would consider the policy. No formal committee action was recorded at the Jan. 28 session.

Context and next steps: Speakers asked council members to back the Allegheny County Health Department's proposal and stressed that the EPA previously recommended fee adjustments after reviewing the county's Title V program. If the council or the responsible committee advances the proposal, any change would alter permitholder fee schedules and aim to fund additional staff and technical review capacity.

For the record: Remarks at the meeting came from local advocates and residents; no county vote or formal directive on the fee schedule was recorded on Jan. 28.