Clean Air Fund

The Clean Air Fund derives its funds entirely from penalties collected by the Air Quality Program and contains no county tax dollars. The Allegheny County Health Department administers the Clean Air Fund to support activities and projects that:

  • Improve air quality within Allegheny County by reducing, eliminating or preventing the creation of air pollution
  • Broaden understanding of air quality effects through health studies concerning air pollution
  • Educate the public on issues concerning air pollution
  • Provide special purpose ambient air monitoring
  • Lend their special expertise to the county (when requested) by providing consulting services or research and develop pollution-control technologies
  • Complete any other project consistent with the provisions of Article XXI(PDF, 2MB) and the mission of the Board of Health

Importantly, the Clean Air Funds cannot be used by regulated entities as a means of meeting air quality regulations.

To request support from the Clean Air Fund, please reach out to the Air Quality program using Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee contact form.

2024 Clean Air Fund Grants

On December 4, 2024, the Allegheny County Board of Health awarded $4,148,605 to Clean Air Fund project grants. Applications were accepted for four project groups and eleven projects were recommended for funding. 

Summary of 2024 Clean Air Fund projects(PDF, 63KB)

2023 Clean Air Fund Grants

2023 Clean Air Fund Grants

On November 1, 2023, the Allegheny County Board of Health awarded $24,000 to Clean Air Fund project grants. Two projects will support public education concerning air pollution, these projects focus on education for high school and middle school students.

The two projects included:

  • A three year sponsorship grant for the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair (PRSEF)
  • A three year sponsorship for the Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition

Learn more about the November grantees and their projects(PDF, 162KB).


On September 6, 2023, the Allegheny County Board of Health awarded more than $2.3 million to Clean Air Fund project grants. Three projects will aid Allegheny County municipalities in electrifying their vehicle fleets and two projects will see 150 trees planted in the county.

The five projects included:

  • Steel River Council of Governments electric street sweeper
  • West Mifflin Borough electric refuse hauler
  • Swissvale Borough electric refuse and recycling trucks
  • Woodland Hills School District tree planting (Tree Pittsburgh)
  • Steel Valley School District tree planting (Tree Pittsburgh)

Learn more about the September grantees and their projects.

 

Year Project Organization Grant Amount Description Status Date

2020

One Tree Per Child

Tree Pittsburgh

$99,995

Engage over 1000 students from 20 different schools in the Mon Valley over 2 years. Plant 1250 trees with customized tree care plan for each school

Project is ongoing, they have planted around 1,000 trees and engaged with the community

Ongoing through 2025

2020

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair

$15,000

Annual funding for three years

The ACHD provided three years of funding

Completed 2022

2020

Tree planting

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

$98,000

Plant and maintain 75 trees

75 trees were planted

Completed 2022

2020

Professional and Technical Support

Allegheny County Health Department

$500,000

Professional and technical support as needed for case analysis, technical expertise, legal support, and medical and toxicological consulting

Support provided for various studies and program needs

Completed 2023

2020

Clean Air and Environmental Health Fund Contract Administrator Position

Allegheny County Health Department

$55,000

Hire a Clean Air and Environmental Health Fund Contract Administrator last year to help develop new processes and outreach strategies

An administrator was hired to help develop new processes and strategies

Completed 2020

2020

Air Quality Alerts and Education

Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership

$75,000

Provide guidelines for individual actions to reduce exposure to pollution, provide alerts on high pollution days, and ozone and particulate forecasting for three years

Support was provided for public outreach

Completed 2023

2021

Air Ambassador Program

Various

$9,999 per grantee

Nine organizations each work on individual projects to educate municipalities in the Mon Valley about air quality and get residents to sign up for Allegheny Alerts

About 740 residents signed up for Allegheny Alerts

Completed 2022

2021

Air Quality Forecasting Program for the Mon Valley

Georgia Tech Research Corporation's Institute of Technology

$9,941

Develop an air quality forecasting program for the Mon Valley Episode Rule

An air quality forecasting program was created for the Mon Valley Episode Rule

 

Completed 2021

2021

Research Review

Ramboll US Consulting Inc

$69,956

H2S Analysis in Allegheny County with a focus within the Mon Valley

Third party analysis was done on H2S data and research

Completed 2022

2020

Equipment for Air Toxics and H2S Studies

ACHD

$340,554

Purchase equipment and provide lab analysis for a study of Mon Valley odor and air toxics emissions.

Air Quality monitoring equipment purchased

Ongoing

2020

Regulated Entities Portal

enfoTech & Consulting Inc.

$548,725

Online portal to be created for air quality permitting and enforcement software

The system, know as the Regulated Entities Portal (REP) launched and is currently in use

Completed 2024

2023

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition

$9,000

Three years of annual funding to support the Carnegie Science Center's Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition

Three years of funding being provided

Ongoing through 2026

2023

Mon Valley Municipalities Fleet Electrification

Steel Rivers Council of Governments

$750,000

Replace diesel powered street sweeper and purchase of an equivalent electric street sweeper and installation of electric vehicle charging station

The diesel street sweeper has been recycled and the new electric model purchased

Ongoing through 2028

2023

Mon Valley Municipalities Fleet Electrification

Borough of Swissvale

$700,000

Replace diesel powered garbage truck and recycling truck and purchase of an equivalent electric garbage truck and recycling truck and installation of electric vehicle charging station

Project is ongoing

Ongoing through 2028

2023

Tree planting in Allegheny County, one tree per child

Tree Pittsburgh

$46,000

Plant 75 trees on school grounds, community parks, and right of ways within Steel Valley School District

Project is ongoing

Ongoing through 2028

2023

Tree planting in Allegheny County, one tree per child

Tree Pittsburgh

$46,000

Plant 75 trees on school grounds, community parks, and right of ways within the Woodland Hills School District

Project is ongoing

Ongoing through 2028

2023

Fleet Electrification

West Mifflin Borough

$748,339

Decommission diesel refuse hauler and replace with electric garbage packer and installation of electric charging station

Project is ongoing

Ongoing through 2028

 2024 Tree Canopy Expansion Wilkinsburg Shade Tree Commission $46,000 Plant and maintain 50 Trees in Wilkinsburg Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2030
 2024 Tree Canopy Expansion Western Pennsylvania Conservancy $46,000 Plant and maintain 45 trees in Monongahela Valley communities Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2030
2024 Municipal Equipment Electrification Borough of Brackenridge  $23,094 Replace eleven gas powered pieces of municipal lawn equipment with electric models Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2025
2024 Municipal Equipment Electrification   Borough of Pitcairn $43,272 Replace 20 gas powered pieces of municipal lawn equipment with electric models Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2025
2024 Municipal Equipment Electrification  The Boroughs of Braddock, North Braddock, Rankin, and East Pittsburgh  $75,000 Replace four gas powered pieces of municipal lawn equipment with electric models for the boroughs of Braddock, East Pittsburgh, North Braddock, and Rankin Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2025
2024 Municipal Fleet Electrification Borough of Swissvale $800,000 Replace a diesel powered street sweeper with an electric model Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2027
 2024 Municipal Fleet Electrification Munhall Borough $186,789 Support the replacement of three diesel refuse trucks with electric models and charging infrastructure Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2025
 2024 Climate Resilience West Mifflin Borough $997,450 Funding to install a 1 MWh battery storage system as part of a multi-municipality effort to install solar and battery storage systems at municipal buildings in Allegheny County Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2026
2024 Climate Resilience Sharpsburg Borough $1,000,000 Funding to install a solar panel and battery storage system to offset the borough building's electrical usage and to provide backup power in the event of outages Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2027
2024 Climate Resilience Borough of Etna $500,000 Funding to assist the installation of solar panels, green building technologies, and tree planting at their new municipal office building Project is ongoing Ongoing through 2027