Tuesday, November 11, 2003

By Jeffrey Cohan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Four members of the Allegheny County Board of Health could soon become casualties in a turf battle between their panel and County Council.

Council Vice President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, predicted yesterday that council will block the reappointments of board Chairman Dr. Roy Titchworth and board members Susanne Gollin, Azizi Powell and Janet Summers.

"They're all going to go down" when County Council votes on their reappointment next Tuesday, Fitzgerald said.

Council members are seething over the fact that the Board of Health has yet to implement the county's so-called "bad actor" ordinance, an anti-air-pollution law passed by council in August.

Under the ordinance, companies that are in violation of county air pollution standards would be denied permits for new or expanded facilities.

Titchworth told a council committee yesterday that the board is waiting for a Common Pleas judge to determine if council has the authority to adopt such an ordinance. U.S. Steel has sued council in an attempt to get the law overturned.

County Chief Executive Jim Roddey has nominated Titchworth, Gollin, Powell and Summers for reappointment to the nine-member board. If approved, the four would receive new four-year terms.

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