Dec 4, 2023 3 min read

By Jeff Kotula

When people are asked to identify cities in the United States with clean air or excellent air quality, the answers are most likely such places as Seattle, Austin, Texas, or San Diego. Pittsburgh is usually far from that discussion. However, a recent analysis has found that the Greater Pittsburgh region’s continuing improvements in air quality means that our air is cleaner than many other major metropolitan areas.

A recent study, “Clearing the Air 4.0,” conducted by Pittsburgh Works Together, an organization comprised of business and labor leaders, found that our region’s air quality is better than the cities I mentioned and continues to improve. Using recent data from the United States Department of Environment Protection (EPA), the study found that that our region’s air quality is typical of other cities. And, like anything else, the study finds our region is better in some areas, and worse in others.

“Clearing the Air” found that the region’s average level of microscopic soot continues to decline, which is positive. That level at the Liberty air quality monitor, which is used to measure Allegheny County’s compliance with the Clean Air Act, declined 7% in 2022 compared to 2021, and has dropped 23.2% over the past decade. In addition, the study found that Allegheny County has complied with all EPA air quality standards for two consecutive years for the first time ever.

Finally, our region has one of the cleanest major metro areas for ozone, which can cause lung irritation and aggravate asthma. It is encouraging that our region has less ozone than 74% of the 50 largest metropolitan regions in the country. And while many of the study’s conclusions are based on Allegheny County’s monitoring, Washington County can benefit from these findings as well.

As the Washington County Chamber of Commerce has identified in its recent Washington Forward policy initiative, our region’s population growth continues to stagnate. Even in Washington County, where we have experienced marginal growth over the past decade, our long-term prospects still reflect a flattening of population growth due to our reliance on emigration from surrounding counties, primarily Allegheny County. For our county to grow substantially, we must attract people from outside the Greater Pittsburgh region to our county.

Promoting our region’s clean air, especially as it compares to areas such as Seattle or Austin, can be a tactic in attracting people and business investment to our county by dispelling the all-too-common perception that Pittsburgh is still “The Smoky City,” as well as the inaccurate reporting that misleads others into believing that Southwestern Pennsylvania’s air quality makes it an unhealthy place to live. With these new findings from Pittsburgh Works Together, we can allow those considering a move to our county to breathe a little easier knowing we have the clean air to complement our bright future.

Jeff Kotula is the president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.