Sent: 11/19/2014 Subj: Open Burning Win at County Council; Now on to Coke & Indoor Air
GASP AlertAction and News from
Group Against Smog and Pollution
JOIN OUR LIST (http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102402694952) November 19, 2014
Community Meeting With Health Department About Shenango Coke
This evening, please join Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) as they meet with the Health Department about the Shenango Coke Works. ACCAN formed from a core group of residents that live near the coke works who have been working to reduce emissions at the facility for years. The group includes many GASP members, Smoke Readers, and supporters. The meeting is Wednesday, November 19 at 6 p.m. Learn more about how you can have your voice heard _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... my-JLqdAf-wsg6oNR8WI-clr6nKIPgubLbdXB2grIboBOPxyD5MJdnK3ZqDHC9OkPo0fs77JRhDs Kxmr2krb75yhMVWeTeWSCCWZb4LcVUUDqJR6wdy5YvkbGu1_NhZ_wWTIbmnbEV-JO5fOWJrakpU8 xvA=&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXM xIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) . Open Burning Victory!
Thanks to your support, Allegheny County Council voted 9-4 on November 5 to approve the changes to the county's regulations on open burning. Thank you to all who appeared at the hearing and to those who called or emailed your Council member to show support for the updates. If you'd like to _email your representative_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... nS3keWfShLHYv4Kx6Uwce0qRDXG4GAueb3qCdhNf5tisR2dPaGJjVQ6ewUvUarxjOa4dNqzlJWun xVaV8CxmIO35no6nKKZLSaMBjkoprPW_zyB4ltA==&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2N wuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1w J3AQJQ==) , here's the tally:
For: Baker, Danko, DeFazio, Ellenbogen, Finnerty, Kress, Macey, Martoni, Palmiere Against: Heidelbaugh, Futules, Means, Rea Absent: Hawkins, Robinson
The changes will require a set back of 15' from neighboring property lines, roads, etc. for the open burning of wood, providing a minimum of fire safety and air pollution protection. The changes state only clean wood or other cleaner fuels like propane, charcoal, or natural gas can be burned. These changes also give more power to an inspector to reduce or prohibit burning activities that are nuisances to neighbors.
You can see the current rules and the proposed changes _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... yA0AR2QbMlxpjtGiwnLm6XdmyyAwUqVBmJaIEjaFuhk97O-UoRIcqH46DQLUa-LsCt4G-r2ubfNW 4BHMrXknRMQ8BOh5isihF69vXndjmuaY_5sIT8w_Vnttnj3Qd5A8dcYafxi&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6 f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6y By39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) . (Look in the boxes on the right and scroll down to "Open Burning.")
Please contact _jamin@gasp-pgh.org_ (mailto:jamin@gasp-pgh.org) to learn more or to discuss how your municipality can go beyond these updates to create even stronger regulations. Burning, Part Two: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
The changes mentioned in the section above only apply to Allegheny County's regulations, but wood smoke affects citizens state-wide. The Clean Air Council's "_I See Smoke_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... mtb-1qPvXBP488RWv8Y8lNHd5PnmEEh8wm7FvYz-Wo7hhRbuMoxYwjPZLyOSL-VCDgkEk9BVN3ng PcgRr2Y4ujwOih0H8Egye8PhF9vT9A=&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJ BgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) " program has rolled out a new tool that makes reporting violations and taking action easy. A new app allows users to share information and photos of the smoke pollution in their neighborhood.
By using the app, community members fill out information about the pollution they see. That information gets passed on to the Clean Air Council, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, and all appropriate county health agencies. This streamlines the reporting process and makes sure that all violations are being reported to the agencies that oversee air quality enforcement. _Try it today!_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... YN7vdFfqRP75HIQm-6UczDGNhFBL4yWnQoxwloyIEtqXwGsitOOU41QOMHx_Rj2RwbhMwTqG_a00 5rpawMmy4mPRnK-01VgrNMa5EpZcnt2C42jJrBZ9GgBvUjPKLDeWVsU9NLBZeKLgFUQd349geTfA 6-SmkGVzyAvI8_CIXlWdgj0g3Gv3g0PTU710i-urRGUX&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJ d2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2n E1wJ3AQJQ==) Outdoor Particles--How Many Enter Your Home?
How much of the particulate matter in outdoor air gets inside? Are there inexpensive ways to predict indoor concentrations of outdoor particle pollution based on simple house characteristics and building operation? Brent Stephens, Director of The Built Environment Research Group at Illinois Institute of Technology, will discuss his work on pathways that allow outdoor particulate matter to infiltrate into living spaces in a webinar this Friday at 2 p.m. He has investigated the link between building envelope airtightness and outdoor particle penetration. Participants will gain a better understanding of variables and the magnitude of their impact.
Learn more and register _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjfU... nXqLR0CLH2fTRccn0gx6FeO7vftUjsCUb7m1YzMEIhZh2A3hdqJw_VF6e2_0xkYFqngl9x0ug_3F jVDS7ozmTXKaLrAo0RatLmwe-dq_u8zr-ZgS3efwoAZwVmDb3PVkKC8gJgvI&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh 6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6 yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) .
We appreciate your participation on the GASP Alert email list. Together, we can make a difference in our region's environment. We won't trade or sell your email address with other organizations or inundate you with messages. Visit our website at _gasp-pgh.org_ (http://www.gasp-pgh.org/) or call us at (412) 924-0604 for more information. Thank you!
Group Against Smog and Pollution | 5135 Penn Avenue | Pittsburgh | PA | 15224