In The News

DEP and EPA will each receive half of the $1.5 million civil penalty for violations at the Monessen plant. ArcelorMittal will pay an additional $300,000 through a separate agreement with PennEnvironment to fund a community environmental project led by the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

ArcelorMittal will pay a $1.8 million settlement to state, federal and local entities over air pollution from its Monessen Coke Plant, an environmental group announced Wednesday. As part of the settlement, the company will pay a total of $1.5 million in civil penalties to the EPA and DEP and the remaining $300,000 will go to The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County for a program to help local communities replace high-pollution municipal vehicles with low-emission, hybrid or electric ones.

PennEnvironment announced Wednesday that under terms of a settlement agreement, ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, has agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty for hundreds of air pollution violations, and reduce emissions or pay stiff, stipulated penalties if the coke works violates its state permit. ArcelorMittal also agreed to enhanced emissions monitoring, and will pay $300,000 to establish a local clean vehicles project through The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

On top of the penalty, the company will pay $300,000 to the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County for local air improvements. Phil Koch, executive director of the foundation, said that money will go to initiatives like upgrading the emissions systems of diesel school buses to make them run cleaner.

Most Americans are poised to lose any tax incentives to give to charity under the final Republican tax bill negotiated Friday. A trio of Western Pennsylvania nonprofit leaders say they fear the “misguided bill” will thrust the charitable sector “directly in harm's way” and reduce giving in a seven-county region by as much as $60 million a year.

On Dec. 4, the 2017 Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Awards at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture honored Pittsburgh artists Susan Tsu (Established Artist Award) and Sarika Goulatia (Emerging Artist Award).

Give Big Pittsburgh, organized by the Pittsburgh Foundation and Pittsburgh Magazine, raised $1,362,742, according to an unofficial tally on its website.

A new local fundraising effort for Giving Tuesday is replacing the Pittsburgh Foundation's previous Day of Giving event. Give Big Pittsburgh has hundreds of local nonprofit organizations participating through its platform and began at midnight Tuesday. As of 2:30 p.m., more than $690,000 had been given by more than 3,200 donors to 449 organizations through the Give Big Pittsburgh website.

Costume designer Susan Tsu and visual artist Sarika Goulatia are the winners of this year’s Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Awards, recognizing the works and achievements of one established artist and one emerging artist. The awards come with $15,000 for each artist, courtesy of The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments. 

Jason Boll was never happier to help a student apply to college than he was to help Kevonna Stevens. She’d graduated at the top of her class at Perry High School in the spring, and she was applying to his alma mater, Temple University. Now, he's trying to help her stay there. Even with Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship money, the college student is struggling to cover all higher ed costs.