Etna earns $50,000 to plant trees, tackle pollution
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More trees are coming to Etna thanks to a grant awarded this week from the Allegheny County Health Department.
The borough was among seven groups to earn money from the Clean Air Fund, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced on Wednesday.
A total of $300,000 will support air quality projects in the county.
Etna was awarded $50,000 and will use its money for pollution prevention.
The borough will purchase trees to be planted throughout the borough, including Butler Street, the Clarence Fugh Memorial Playground and along Route 8 and 28.
Etna will partner with Tree Pittsburgh to choose the correct trees for each place and borough employees will plant and tend to the trees.
The borough joins Tree Pittsburgh, Healthy Ride and the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership in dedicating their grants to preventing pollution.
Since 2015, more than $4 million has been awarded from the fund.
“We’re delighted to see so many organizations and groups interested in working with us to improve our region’s air quality,” Fitzgerald said in a release. “It’s refreshing to see that the projects range from ideas that we can implement ourselves, like planting a tree or riding a bike, to providing in-depth information through a study that can help inform our residents, and our actions at the county level, with additional data and understanding.”
Three more grants were awarded for air quality education projects. They went to Duquesne University, Healthy Ride and the Group Against Smog and Pollution.
The Clean Air Fund is amassed from emission violation penalties.
Tawnya Panizzi is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tawnya at 412-782-2121, ext. 2, tpanizzi@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tawnyatrib.