Forest Hills Forward: Air + Equity Deck

AIR & EQUITY

Keystone Communities Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

TONIGHT’S SPONSORS

MJ Kelly Realty & Jodi B’s Restaurant

Hello!

Flora S. Hills

Our vision is an increasingly vibrant and prosperous Forest Hills.

WHAT IS FOREST HILLS FORWARD? evolveEA

WE’RE MOVING

This spring, we are coming together to

LEARN, SHARE, AND IMAGINE the future of our community with sustainability, resilience, and innovation at the forefront

We’re

going to amplify existing efforts…

Outcomes of this process

Community vision for the future

Action plans for each quality of life area

Catalytic projects

FOOD

DESTINATION & LOCALLY SERVING FOOD BUSINESSES

LOCAL, FRESH, & HEALTHY FOOD

CLOSING LOOPS

RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE

CELEBRATING

WATER PLACES

WATER EDUCATION

WATER QUALITY

AIR

What air quality issues are most important to you and why?

What air quality opportunities do you see in Forest Hills?

This is Forest Hills TODAY.

What should be different in 2035?

Pittsburgh’s air quality is better than it used to be.

But it still ranks as the 14th most polluted city in the nation. (for year round particle pollution)

This is not just a Forest Hills problem, this is a regional problem.

Regional point sources contribute to Forest Hills air quality, but we do not have direct control over them.

Forest Hills has some control over mobile sources, and more control over local point sources.

Air

within homes and other buildings can be more polluted than outdoor air.

People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors.

TheAir We Share

Patricia M. DeMarco

Photo Credit: Mark Dixon

PittsburghAir-Then and Now

Air Quality Laws & Ordinances

National Environmental PolicyAct (1970)

CleanAirAct (1970)

Clean IndoorAirAct,Act 27 of 2008

CleanAirAct's (CAA's) “Good Neighbor”

provision (42 U.S.C. § 7410(a)(2)(D))

https://patriciademarco.com

1950 Steel

2020 Steel

The Essential Conditions for Life were set over a Period of One billion years

April 17, 2024 https://patriciademarco.com

Rye R, Kuo PH, Holland HD,Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before 2.2 billion years ago, Nature, 1995 Dec 7; 378(6557):603-5.

Burning Fossil Fuels

Is Reversing this process in decades

April 17, 2024

https://patriciademarco.com

, doi:10.1029/2008GL034864, 2008

Judith L. Lean1 and David H. Rind “How natural and anthropogenic influences alter global and regional surface temperatures: 1889 to 2006” GEOPHYSICALRESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 35, L18701

ClimateAction Connects toAir Pollution

•Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gas Emissions come from the same sources:

•Fossil fuels are part of our everyday lives COAL PETROLEUM

NATURALGAS

Air Pollution Sources

•Natural Sources: fires, volcanoes, lightning

•Fossil fuel combustion: power plants, industries, sewage treatment, residential and commercial heating and cooking

•Transportation: cars, trucks, railroads, shipping, buses, motorcycles

•Agriculture: ruminants, pesticides, fertilizer, herbicides

Air Pollution Better but not Good Everywhere in US

• From 1990 to 2017 emissions of air toxics declined by 74% largely driven by federal and state implementation of stationary and mobile source regulations.

• In 2022, about 66 million tons of pollution were emitted into the atmosphere in the United States.

• 85 millionAmericans are exposed to at least one toxic air pollutant

https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary#:~:text=I n%202022%2C%20about%2066%20million,atmosphere%20in%20th e%20United%20States.

Pittsburgh’sAir Is among Dirtiest in the Country

https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/allegheny-countys-toxic-ten/

https://patriciademarco.com

Mon ValleyAir Inversions

The terrain of joined river valleys leads to inversions where cooler air is trapped close to the surface by heat higher above This holds pollutants near the ground

Forest HillsAir Quality shares the Mon Valley

•Air quality for 2024

•Many daysABOVE the “Safe” level for Particulates PM-2.5

PurpleAir Monitor Readings- RealTime in Forest Hills

https://environmentaldata.org/#channels=168831.PM2_5&time=1703800299.079,1713805808.131&plotHeight=20.000&pl otAreaHeight=40.000&showFilters=true&showSettings=true&showResults=true&center=89.04308741400334,-171.35253 387986668&recentOnly=true&mapOnly=true&s

April 17, 2024

https://patriciademarco.com

Cancer Risks From HAPs

•We are in a High Risk area for increased cancer risk from HalogenatedAir Pollutants

•57-71 cancer cases per million

•Roughly 32,000 children and hundreds of thousands of adults inAllegheny County have asthma, and the poor air quality exacerbates their respiratory issues.

Air Pollution in Our Region: Legacy Industries

• Still Polluting- US Steel

• TheAllegheny County Health Department (ACHD) fined U.S. Steel $1.991 million for 362 violations of its CleanAirAct operating permit at the Clairton Coke Works facility.

• Released harmful chemicals and fine particles, including hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), linked to cancer, asthma and other health problems

• In February 2024ACHD orders U. S. Steel to submit within the next 30 days a plan to attain compliance with its permit by eliminating these “pushing” violations.

• Fined $9.19 Million over last two years….No action yet!

https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/media-center/state ment-u-s-steel-fined-2-million-for-air-pollution-violations-at-clairto n-coke-works/

April 17, 2024

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/2022/03/07/allegheny-county-us-steel-hy drogen-sulfide-emissions-air-pollution-clairton/stories/202203070081

https://patriciademarco.com

Clairton Coke Works

Air Pollution in our Region: Fracking

• From 2000 to 2015, the number of hydraulically fractured wells in the United States increased from 23,000 to approximately 300,000.

• Emissions contain, among other chemicals, benzene and toluene, ethylben zene, xylene, hexane and formaldehyde — all classified as volatile organic compounds [VOCs].

• When inhaled, these chemicals are known to cause dizziness, headaches, tremors, anxiety, confusion, nerve damage, muscle fatigue and — at high levels — death.

• Some are known to cause cancer.

Air emissions from frackingnight and day

https://www.center4research.org/fracking-your-health/

https://patriciademarco.com

Air Pollution in our Region: Plastics Industry

• Shell Plant Emissions exceeded emission limits in recent months for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hazardous air pollutants.

• The DEPalso cited Shell for flaring violations, malodor violations at its wastewater treatment plant, and other violations.

• Company still in “shakeout stage” that can last FORYEARS!

• $10 million in fines- $6.2 of that to go to communities for environmental projects

https://cen.acs.org/environment/Shell-pay-10-million-permit /101/i18

Flaring and emissions from Shell Cracker Plant in Beaver PA https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/environment/2023/02/20/shell-hit-with-cr acker-plant-air-violations-activists-call-for-halt-to-operations-beaver-county/69923 309007/ April

Air Pollution in our Region: Mobile Sources

• Emissions from Trucks,Trains, Barges & Cars, especially to diesel exhaust, can lead to serious health conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses and can worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly.

• June 2012, the International Association for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a known carcinogen to humans.

• Burning gasoline and diesel fuel contributes particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, as well as carbon dioxide, into the air.

Transportation using barges emits 15.6 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), railroads emit 21.2 tons, and trucks emit a 154.2 tons

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/overview-diesel-exhaust-and-health https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makesair-unhealthy/transportation

Petrochemical pollution pathways into our body:

Three principal access methods:

•Inhalation-Affected by air pollution and air-borne contaminants

•Ingestion- pollution of water and food from transport of pollutants, contamination of the food chain; water-soluble pollutants

•Contact- absorption through skin by contact or occupational exposure (eg. Bisphenol -A absorbed from handling thermo-fax paper such as receipts)

Physical conditions: climate change induced heat adds stress to vulnerable people, or people exposed occupationally to outdoor conditions

Land Pollution Water Pollution Air Pollution

Respiration: Direct Health Harms

Long term direct effects of air pollution:

Respiratory and cardiovascular system: Asthma, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke.

Ozone and Particulate pollution can cause chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, congestion and reduced lung function

Children, older adults, persons with asthma, and immunocompromised persons are most vulnerable to air quality impacts.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/air-pollution/index.cfm

https://patriciademarco.com

Air PollutionIndirect Health Harms

Long-term exposure to air pollution (Particulate Material, NOx, O3 and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) causes:

• Immune System disruption

• Airway and respiratory damage

• Cardiovascular damage

• Pulmonary functions compromised

• Epi-genetic damage- DNArepair impeded

• Cancer and strokes.

What We Can DoTo Help Improve OurAir?

•How CanYOU use less fossil fuels?

•Can you Replace Plasticespecially single-use plastic?

•Ask your Elected Representatives atALLlevels to stand up for clean air and climate action

•YOUR life depends on having clean air

Regenerative Agriculture

Gail Harper

We can make a difference together

Air Quality Resources

ROCIS

https://rocis.org/ Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP)

https://www.gasp-pgh.org/ The Breathe Project:

https://breatheproject.org/

Smell Pittsburgh

https://smellpgh.org/ Plume Pittsburgh

https://plumepgh.org/ Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD)

https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Services/Health-Department/Air-Quality Purple Air Monitoring Map

https://map.purpleair.com/ Speck Monitoring Map

https://www.specksensor.com/

FOREST HILLS AIR FUTURES

What air quality issues are most important to you and why?

What air quality opportunities do you see in Forest Hills?

This is Forest Hills TODAY. What should be different in 2035? Clean air

Take a moment to reflect and write on your post-its 3 minute pause

What do you think?

3 minute pause

EQUITY

What equity issues are most important to you and why?

How can energy, mobility, food, water, and air efforts make Forest Hills a more equitable community?

What opportunities do you see to collaborate with your neighbors and neighboring communities?

Equitable communities…

Contain a diversity of PEOPLE

Provide access to EDUCATION and JOBS

Provide opportunities to accumulate WEALTH

Have access to food and HEALTHCARE

Include high quality and affordable HOUSING options

Equitable communities…

Provide opportunities to enjoy the NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Maintain their character, sense of community, values, and IDENTITY

Empower residents to SHAPE THEIR OWN FUTURE

Provide residents with CHOICES

Ronna Currie Woodland Hills Foundation H.U.G.S. Coordinator

Dickson PTAPresident

Former Woodland Hills School Board Director

Resident

Patricia DeMarco Senior Scholar at Chatham University’s Falk School of Sustainability, Forest Hills resident, author, and FHCA Board member

FOREST HILLS EQUITY FUTURES

What equity issues are most important to you and why?

How can energy, mobility, food, water, and air efforts make Forest Hills a more equitable community?

What opportunities do you see to collaborate with your neighbors and neighboring communities?

Education and jobs Green jobs w/solar companies Multimunicipal green jobs training program

Take a moment to reflect and write on your post-its 3 minute pause

What do you think?

Please visit our interview booth!

https://forms.gle/ndGSxZryUbyqYZJEA