LAST CALL: GASP Seeking Signatures for Air Quality Petition

The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is seeking signatures for a petition asking the Allegheny County Health Department to deny installation permits sought by Jefferson Hills-based plastics company Eastman Chemical Resins Inc.

The reason why? Eastman’s plant is a major source of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are a type of pollution regulated by the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act requires Eastman and major sources of air pollution to have what’s known as a Title V Operating Permit.

By way of background, these Title V Operating Permits – which are issued by the Allegheny County Health Department - are an important tool for ensuring major sources of air pollution comply with clean air laws requirements. These permits must include all local, state, and federal air pollution requirements, and mandates that these sources of pollution submit annual reports about its compliance with those rules.

But here’s the thing: Eastman was never issued a Title V Operating Permit, even though the Allegheny County Health Department’s own regulations purportedly required the plant have one by 2004.

While it’s true that Eastman’s Title V Operating Permit was part of an ACHD paperwork backlog, the company was also the subject of a federal enforcement action which was filed and resolved in December 2011. This action came in the wake of numerous alleged violations of operating limitations, as well as monitoring and recordkeeping requirements.

Specifically, it was alleged that Eastman failed to both monitor and control the temperature of the coolant in condensers and related equipment. That is significant because that equipment is what controls emissions from various processes and tanks at the plant.

The claims against Eastman were resolved by a Consent Order filed simultaneously with the federal complaint. This Consent Order required the company, among other things, to develop emission testing protocols for certain pieces of equipment. It also required the company to submit those plans to the EPA for approval. Then, following each protocol approval, Eastman was then to perform emissions testing for each protocol and report back to the EPA for approval before ultimately submitting permit applications to ACHD.

However, the implementation of this consent order has been neither smooth nor expeditious. It was not until 2017 that Eastman began submitting permit applications for at least some of its process units.

While Eastman is still working to meet the requirements of the Consent Order, it has in the meantime requested new installation permits to allow it to increase the production rate and allowable emissions of particulate matter from one of its process units. This requested production increase is not required by the Consent Order.

Which brings us to our petition: It’s been more than seven years since the entry of the Consent Order, and Eastman has yet to submit permit applications for at least three of its Process Units. GASP believes it is well past time for Eastman to comply with the terms of the Consent Order approved all the way back in December of 2011 before ACHD greenlights increases in its production rate and particulate matter emissions.

ACHD’s air pollution regulations allow it to deny Eastman’s installation permit applications. We hope you will join us in calling on the ACHD do just that. By signing our petition, you are joining us in asking the ACHD to withhold authorization of these permit modifications until Eastman has fulfilled the obligations that are already on the books, and have been since 2011.

For more information, or to read and sign the full petition, visit the GASP website:

https://gasp-pgh.org/petition-deny-eastman-chemicals-permit-changes/