Allegheny County Meets Federal Air Quality Standards For First Time Ever
BY: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - For the first time ever, all of Allegheny County's air monitors have met federal air quality standards.
"This achievement comes after years of hard work by the Health Department, federal and state agencies and local industry to clean up the air in Allegheny County," said Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen in a statement. "But we have more work to do, and the Health Department is committed to ensuring everyone in Allegheny County has clean air to breathe."
The health department says the region is now in attainment with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone and particulate matter.
The Health Department has eight air quality monitors. The one in Liberty by the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works was the only one that kept the county from attaining the EPA standard in recent years, the health department says.
The health department says air quality has improved "remarkedly" in 2020, even without the lower levels of pollution because of the pandemic.