Citizen's Arrest: PennFuture Launches Citizen Initiative to Enforce Law Banning Diesel Idling; Names Allegheny County Health Department as Violator

PITTSBURGH--August 17, 2011: The Breathe Easy, Stay Healthy campaign of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) launched an initiative today to engage citizens in enforcing the state law banning diesel idling, a key clean air provision. The organization also announced that the Allegheny County Health Department was the first identified scofflaw of the sign provision of this clean air law, and delivered a sign to the Department for posting.

“It's time for all facilities -- starting with the Health Department - to step up and post the sign.”

"The Pittsburgh region's air is among the dirtiest in the nation -- killing more than 14,000 local citizens over eight years. Yet a simple sign can help clean it up," said Tiffany Hickman, western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture.

"Diesel idling is a major source of deadly soot," continued Hickman. "That's why the law forbids large diesel-fueled vehicles from idling for more than five minutes, with exceptions for extreme weather and other exigencies. And that's also why the law requires that any facility where vehicles subject to the law load or unload to post a sign stating the law.

"But, despite our bad air, there has been virtually no enforcement of the diesel idling law here," continued Hickman. "We intend, with the help of local citizens, to get the law enforced, right here, right now.

"We stand in front of the Allegheny County Health Department, the very government agency charged with safe guarding our public health," continued Hickman. "As you can see, even the Health Department is in violation of the law -- it doesn't have the proper signs at its loading dock. We are delivering this sign to the department today to encourage it to end its status as a scofflaw. We are also urging citizens to contact County Executive Dan Onorato and urge him to demand that the health department lead by example and obey the law."

The initiative launched today enlists citizens to identify other facilities who fail to post the proper sign to protect our lungs from dirty diesel pollution. PennFuture encourages citizens to post pictures and report violations on the website at Breath Easy Stay Healthy , where they can also download the sign and take it directly to the facility violating the law.

"These simple signs can make a world of difference to a kid with asthma, an adult with heart or lung disease, people who exercise outside, or really, anyone who wants to breathe easy and stay healthy," concluded Hickman. "It's time for all facilities -- starting with the Health Department - to step up and post the sign."

PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization, founded in 1998. PennFuture's activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and assisting citizens in public advocacy.

Working from the premise that "Every environmental victory grows the economy," PennFuture has successfully advocated for landmark environmental legislation, including passage of the largest-ever environmental funding bond, public investment in green energy and energy savings programs, passage of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, adoption of the Clean Vehicles Program and adoption of a regulation to protect Pennsylvania's babies by restricting mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. PennFuture has staff throughout the state, in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilkes-Barre. The Philadelphia Inquirer called PennFuture the "state's leading environmental advocacy organization," and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named the organization "one of the ten most influential groups on the issue of natural gas drilling."