There's $8.1 million in the Allegheny County Health Department's Clean Air Fund, and the county's Public Works Department wants to use a chunk of that money to pay for a road widening project it says will ease congestion on Lorish Road in Robinson.

But the Clean Air Fund money, which comes from fines paid by industries for air quality violations, must be used for projects and programs that benefit air quality, and some people are questioning whether the road project qualifies.

"This is an unprecedented use of the fund," said Michael Parker, policy and outreach coordinator for the Group Against Smog and Pollution. "The use of Clean Air funds for road widening projects is problematic. If it's going to result in air benefits, great, but we have serious doubts."

The Public Works Department request for $270,000 from the fund to provide the 20 percent local match for the $1.35 million project is on the agenda at today's Allegheny County Board of Health meeting.

Its spot on the agenda fulfills a regulatory requirement that the Board of Health be "consulted" on Clean Air Fund expenditures.

The county's Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee also must be consulted, but neither its nor the health board's approval is needed.

According to regulations, Clean Air Fund expenditures are controlled by County Council and the county chief executive, and they oversee the Public Works Department.

"This is the first time I've seen a Clean Air Fund request like this," said Paul King, health board chairman.

In the past, requests for Clean Air Fund money originated in the Health Department, the Board of Health or the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee. And normally, they would be channeled through and be reviewed by the Health Department's Air Quality Program, but this one was not.

Bernie Rossman, county roads engineering manager, said the Lorish Road widening addresses congestion on Beecham Drive and Kisow Drive, which feed into Lorish at Steubenville Pike, near Interstate 79.

Mr. Rossman said the project has been submitted for funding under the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.