About
Valley Clean Air Now

We’ve always believed that change is slow and complex, but we also know that change is necessary. In the Mon Valley, where the air is thick with the weight of pollution, we’ve had no choice but to rise and fight. At Valley Clean Air Now (VCAN), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make a difference—not just for ourselves but for those who come after us. We started with something simple: air filters. It’s not a cure, but it’s a start.

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Our Air Filter Distribution Program began on May 30, 2020, collaborating with Clean Water Action. We handed out filters to homes, trying to give people something, anything, to help them breathe a little easier. By October 14, 2021, our efforts had expanded with the Clean Air Council backing us, and by April 24, 2024, we were still there, distributing filters to the people of Glassport, still pushing back against a system that doesn’t care if we live or die.

 

But it’s not enough to just give people tools. We need knowledge. We partnered with Create Lab and the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) to monitor the air. We tested for benzene, a poison most people can’t see, smell, or taste, but that’s killing us all the same. On March 2, 2023, we went public with the data. We stood in Clairton and told anyone who would listen that our air is laced with danger. It’s a bitter truth, but the truth matters. It has to matter.

We’ve also stood on the front lines of climate justice, welcoming allies from all over.

 

On September 23, 2023, the Pennsylvania Action on Climate Bike Tour stopped in Clairton. They met with us, shared food with us, and talked about what climate justice means to people who can’t just leave. It’s easy to talk about saving the planet when you have a backup plan. But for us? This is it. This is our home. By November 9, 2023, we were fighting once again, this time against a proposal to use the Clean Air Fund—money meant for people like us—for county expenses. We said no. That money is supposed to help us breathe, not to line the pockets of bureaucrats.

 

We’ve spoken up whenever and wherever we could. On August 30, 2023, we joined a virtual public hearing held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They were talking about amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Coke Ovens. I had to speak, had to remind them that those ovens and the smoke they spew affect real people. People like me, people like my neighbors. And on Jan 8, 2024, Tom Bailey, our Secretary, stood up at the Allegheny County Title V Permit Hearing and said, in no uncertain terms, that we need more: more accountability, more protection, and more air that doesn’t make us sick.

The media has started to listen.

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On March 15, 2024, I wrote an essay for Public Source. I told my story, the story of an asthma attack that nearly killed me and how that moment turned into a mission. On March 18, 2024, Inside Climate News published an article where they spoke to our board members Germaine Gooden-Patterson and Art Thomas. They laid bare the inequities in environmental policy that have been choking communities like ours for too long. It’s hard to get people to care when they’re not the ones suffocating, but we keep pushing, keep speaking.

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We’re not done. Not by a long shot. On February 16, 2024, we were back in Clairton, handing out air purifiers, doing what we could. And on April 12, 2024, we are standing in front of the U.S. Steel Building, demanding a healthier future. There’s always more to do, more to fight for, more voices to raise. VCAN is here, and we aren’t going anywhere.

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Johnie Perryman, Art Thomas and Tom Bailey traveled to the Allegheny County Courthouse on December 17, 2024.  Each is a VCAN Board member.  County Council was considering the Health Department's request to increase permit fees for Allegheny County's polluting businesses.  All three presented public comment, along with 25 other County residents, urging the Council to allow the fee increases.  The request was not voted on and was sent back to the Health & Human Services Committee.

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This isn’t just about air. It’s about survival. It’s about claiming our right to breathe, to live, to thrive in a world that has too often treated us as expendable. For those who want to join us, for those who see the future rushing toward us and know it must be different, we’re here. We’re here, and we’re ready.