STATEMENT: PennEnvironment applauds Audit of Allegheny County Clean Air Fund

PITTSBURGH – Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor announced the results of an audit into the County’s Clean Air Fund on Tuesday. The fund, which currently has a balance of approximately $10 million, collects penalty money paid by local polluters for violations of the federal Clean Air Act and other local air quality laws. This money is designed to be spent in support of local efforts to reduce air pollution and treat its impacts, though the Controller’s office found that little funding had actually been dispersed by the Clean Air Fund—between roughly $150,000 to $700,000 per year, on average. The audit also found that more than twice as much money was allocated to normal Health Department operating costs than on air quality projects in two of the three years reviewed. Controller O’Connor urged the Allegheny County Health Department to more efficiently and strategically spend down the Clean Air Fund.

Under the previous administration, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) repeatedly attempted to raid the fund and divert money to other uses within the County, over the objection of community members and watchdogs. Advocates have called for the funds to support asthma treatment or community-led air filter programs, as one critical air quality need that should be addressed for the county’s most vulnerable residents.

In response to the release of today’s audit, Zachary Barber, clean air advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, issued the following statement:

“I applaud Controller O’Connor’s audit. The Clean Air Fund can be a powerful tool in our region’s fight against air pollution, but it’s not doing any good sitting in a bank account. To improve the health of residents, the Allegheny County Health Department should quickly act on the Controller’s recommendation to put this money toward cleaning up our air.

“When a polluter pays a fine for breaking the law and putting our health at risk, that money should be used to repair the damage, for example through the distribution of air filters or supporting treatments for asthma, which is especially common near our region’s largest polluters.

“Unfortunately, it’s been far more common for those vital funds to sit idly in County coffers or, worse, go to projects that don’t actually address Allegheny County’s pressing air pollution challenges.”