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Wednesday, 09 December 2009 00:00

Allegheny County's regulation on air toxics was adopted in 1988 -- when Ronald Reagan was in the White House, the Soviets left Afghanistan and the Steelers had only a mere four Super Bowl rings.

A lot of pollution has come down the pike since then. Not that the Allegheny County Health Department has been lax. In fact, industries and environmentalists agree that the agency is a tougher regulator on emissions than the state would be.

So why is the county reluctant to update its rules for the 21st century?

Last July the county Board of Health tabled a regulation that would have replaced the old standard, which does not reflect the latest science. Then last month health board members gathered as part of an effort to become more educated on the subject and to reconsider updating the county's regulation.

It's not as if science sits still. New ways of measuring public health and the threats to it are always being found, and it's the duty of public boards and agencies to adopt the latest, most reliable gauges. A Post-Gazette story on Nov. 23 reported that Louisville, Ky., and the state of Texas were only two places that have significantly tightened standards on air toxics recently.

While Pittsburgh continues to hone its reputation -- as a leader in green technology, as a place worthy of the global events like the G-20 Summit and as America's most livable city -- it tops other lists as well, rankings that don't put a shine to the region's image.

For one thing, Allegheny County is home to the air monitor (in Liberty) that had the nation's dirtiest reading for small-particle pollution, based on 2005-07 data. A different report last year, based on 2002 data, showed that residents of Clairton and Glassport had some of the nation's highest risks of getting cancer due to air pollution.

While local industries, including U.S. Steel with its Clairton coke works, have taken steps and spent millions of dollars to improve the region's air, the job is not done. The county Board of Health can move the process along by applying the latest science to its toxic-air regulations.

Pittsburgh's well-being cannot be measured by the number of Steelers Super Bowl wins. Local residents are more concerned about how the region compares in health, education, security and opportunity.

In the standings that count, the region's people and their lungs deserve the latest standards. And the health board can certainly deliver them.

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