STATEMENT: New Health Department Director can bring cleaner air to Allegheny County

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced on Monday the selection of Dr. Iulia Vann as the next director of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). In this role, Dr. Vann will oversee ACHD’s Air Program (among other public health programs at ACHD), which is responsible for enforcing the federal Clean Air Act.

In March 2023 the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center released its Green Allegheny Issue & Policy Agenda, which included the recommendation for selecting a new ACHD head with strong environmental and public health credentials. 

PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center is calling for ACHD’s priorities under Dr. Vann’s leadership to include: 

• Addressing the backlog of expired and unissued permits, ensuring the Toxic Ten have up-to-date Clean Air Act permits with strong, health-protective emissions limits; 
• Stronger enforcement—including increasing penalties and requiring quick corrective action—for dangerous and illegal air pollution in the region, to send the message that it won’t pay to pollute; 
• Developing strong plans to implement Biden Administration clean air rules to reduce soot and benzene pollution; and
• Ensuring the Allegheny County Health Department Air Program has the resources it needs to achieve these goals.

In response to the new hiring, Zachary Barber, the clean air advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, issued the following statement:

“I applaud Dr. Vann’s track record of public health leadership. We’re looking forward to working with her to ensure that everybody in Allegheny County has clean air to breathe every single day of the year.

“Dr. Vann takes charge of the Health Department at a critical moment. On the one hand, the Toxic Ten continue to dump out massive amounts of pollution that put our health at risk.  On the other, clean air solutions have never been more readily available.

“We are glad to see that County Executive Innamorato has already delivered on one of our top recommendations—choosing a new Health Department Director who brings a public health background. Toxic industrial air pollution is among our region’s most pressing health concerns, killing hundreds of people every year. We hope Dr. Vann will approach air pollution through a health-centered lens, focusing on protecting residents by reducing unhealthy emissions. ”