Audit Clean Air Enforcement & Fund Usage
Violators such as the Clairton Coke Works are spewing toxic chemicals into our air at rates that exceed legal limits. Unfortunately, the Health Department has been slow to enact proper penalties, and the administration has previously attempted to misuse the Clean Air fund for routine building repairs instead of mitigating health impacts in impacted communities. We need to make sure that violators don’t see fines as just the “cost of doing business” and that we protect the health of our residents. The Clean Air Fund should not be a slush fund for general County operations such as routine maintenance.
As Controller, I will audit the fund to make sure that the millions in dollars the County receives from air quality fines quickly go back toward the impacted communities for either health care or improving the quality of the air our families breathe. I’ll calculate the health impact cost and money saved by polluters during air quality violations so that we can fine them appropriately and make sure that we actually address the causes of pollution. I also support the use of Clean Air Funds to purchase air purifiers and filters for impacted residents.
Proper air enforcement will not only result in cleaner air, it will also create job opportunities to repair and update broken air pollution control equipment. We must not sacrifice the health of our region for corporate profits.