Emissions Inventory
Emissions Inventory Overview
Each year the Allegheny County Health Department’s Air Quality Program collects air quality data known as the “Emissions Inventory” from the permitted sources in Allegheny County as outlined in Allegheny County Article XXI: Air Pollution Control . The Health Department utilizes this inventory to better understand air quality trends and regulate pollution in the county.
The Emission Inventory Dashboard provides the public with easy access to the emissions data collected over the last 10+ years. It allows everyone to better visualize and understand the distribution of point source pollution across the county and the impact of air quality regulation over time.
How to Use the Dashboard
This dashboard provides emission inventory data from 2010 to the 2021 for 168 permitted facilities. The information can be viewed in a line graph, as a data table or proportional emissions size by map location. These can be adjusted by pollutant or pollutant category, facility and year(s).
It is important to note that mobile sources of pollution (trains, motor vehicles, planes, etc.) are regulated at a federal level and are not, therefore, included in this dashboard.
The Emissions Inventory Dashboard data is updated annually.
Regulated Emissions and Pollutants Inventoried
The Air Quality Program requires emissions inventory reports from facilities with the potential to emit any of the following:
- 10 or more tons of any one Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAPs)
- 25 tons or more total HAPs
- 25 or more tons of regulated pollutants listed in Article XXI (listed below)
- Actual emissions of 10 tons or more of any pollutant to emit at or above 80% the major source threshold as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
There are 80 pollutants in the emissions inventory divided in to five categories: nine criteria and precursor pollutants, 69 HAPs, two sulfur compounds, and three Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). They are classified as such:
Criteria pollutants: under the Clean Air Act (CAA) six pollutants that have National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These standards are limits on how much each criteria pollutant is allowed in an area. Areas are determined by the EPA.
Precursor pollutants: Pollutants that once emitted react in the atmosphere and form criteria pollutants.
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs): Also known as Air Toxics, these are pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or serious health effects above certain concentration levels. The HAPs included in the emissions inventory are those that are emitted by facilities that meet the reporting requirement for HAPS.
Sulfur compounds: These are pollutants that have sulfur in their makeup, usually emitted from manufacturing and agricultural industries.
Green House Gases (GHGs): These are gaseous pollutants that trap heat in the atmosphere. Non-GHGs include all other pollutants.
See the full list of included pollutants(PDF, 51KB)
Additional Information
To learn more about air quality and the Air Quality Program, residents can sign up for Allegheny Alerts and attend Air Advisory Committee. The department’s air quality dashboard is updated hourly. Every weekday a daily dispersion report is released with a forecast for the day's atmospheric dispersion, meteorology, air quality index, and surface temperature inversion information.
To learn more about the Air Quality Program and the way they regulate and improve air quality, visit the following links: