title
A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania establishing goals and objectives for the creation of an Air Fees Relief Program by the Allegheny County Board of Health.
body
WHEREAS, in November of 2025, Allegheny County Council ratified changes to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) air quality fee structure through the passage of Bill Numbers 13228-24 and 13229-24, both sponsored by the Chief Executive; and
WHEREAS, Bills 13228-24 and 13229-24 establish, inter alia, multiple new fees and increases to existing fees relating to the Air Quality Program Asbestos and Abrasive Blasting Fee Schedule; and
WHEREAS, prior to passage of 13228-24 and 13229-24, several Council members expressed concerns about the impact of the new and increased asbestos and abrasive blasting fees upon smaller asbestos remediation projects subject to the new fee structure; and
WHEREAS, as noted by Pittsburgh law firm Goldberg Persky White in The Ongoing Challenges One Year After the U.S. Asbestos Ban, published in Asbestos, Asbestos & Lung Cancer, Asbestos & Mesothelioma, News on June 4, 2025: “[r]emoving asbestos from buildings isn’t as simple as tearing out old insulation or floor tiles. It’s a highly regulated, technical process that demands specialized equipment, protective gear, and trained abatement teams. For many building owners, especially in lower-income areas or smaller municipalities, safe removal remains unaffordable.”; and
WHEREAS, as the article continued: “[w]ithout subsidies or grant programs, some property owners may opt for cheaper but hazardous shortcuts that put workers and residents in harm’s way.”; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of Council to mitigate the risk of smaller asbestos remediation projects being deferred or undertaken under unnecessarily hazardous conditions, in whole or in part due to the new fee structure; and
WHEREAS, as noted in Got Asbestos or a Popcorn Ceiling? Here's How Much It Costs to Remove It (Sperring, H...
Click here for full text