Last November, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor announced an audit of the Allegheny County Health Department’s (ACHD) Clean Air Fund (CAF). The Controller will be joining us for a portion of this session.
Instead of meeting the real needs of residents, especially those living closest to the point-sources of pollution, late in 2023 the CAF was used to purchase 11 electric street sweepers and 3 electric refuse haulers for 11 Mon Valley communities.
The CAF, which has a total of about $10 million, is the repository of fines paid by county polluters. ACHD takes 5% of the balance each year to fund its operations, in addition to other requests that it makes for grants from time to time.
Paying to pollute benefits our region’s worst polluters. Keeping a large balance benefits ACHD as it draws down its 5% annually.
This Town Hall is your opportunity to play a meaningful role at a time of change in Allegheny County. With the Controller’s audit of the CAF, a brand-new County Executive Innamorato, and the Environmental Protection Agency tightening air quality regulations, this is a unique time when resident input can make an outsized impact.