Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato says he is tired of hearing complaints from business about how long it takes the county to process air pollution permits.

His spokesman says no options are off the table for the county's Air Quality Program. Post-Gazette staff writer Don Hopey reported Sunday that Mr. Onorato already has approached the state Department of Environmental Protection about its taking over the program's planning, permitting, monitoring and enforcement duties. Mr. Onorato also raised the idea in a private meeting with legislators in Harrisburg.

Wait a minute. Isn't the chief executive in charge of the county health department, the division that includes the Air Quality Program? He is, since he appoints members of the county's Board of Health. So, if there's a permit backlog or any other problem, can't the chief executive order somebody to fix it?

Repairing the system seems a better route than abdicating this important local responsibility to the state.

The air pollution control program traces its roots to a Pittsburgh smoke control ordinance passed in 1895, and it has been under the jurisdiction of the county health department for 50 years. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, except Philadelphia, air pollution control is the purview of the state's DEP.

Two factors were the foundation for local monitoring: the heavy concentration of industry that was here and the topography, which is ideal for trapping concentrated pollutants in the valleys where people live.

While the level of industry around Pittsburgh is not what it was, there still is significant manufacturing in coke and chemical plants. And the county has some air standards not duplicated in the state, such as those for sandblasting, asbestos removal and school-bus idling.

There is an equally long history of citizen involvement, local people paying attention to make sure the air is clear. That would suffer if the air monitoring functions transferred to the state. The county has an Air Pollution Advisory Committee, with business and citizen representation, but the county would have less representation on a similar statewide body.

We can't help but wonder whether the real motivation for considering a change is the county's Clean Air Fund, which currently contains more than $7 million, collected in fines and penalties. Presumably, eliminating the county air quality program would mean that money could be used for other county budgetary needs.

That would come at the expense of abandoning control of the county's air quality, and local control over local air is worth preserving. Surely the county wouldn't consider turning over its health department to the state. Why, then, do it to pollution control?

If there are problems with the Air Quality Program, the county needs to solve them, not give the unit away.