The Allegheny County Public Works Department has withdrawn its request for $270,000 from the county Clean Air Fund to pay for a road-widening project to ease congestion on Lorish Road in Robinson.

County Manager James M. Flynn Jr. made the surprise announcement at yesterday's Board of Health meeting after the request became public and its appropriateness was questioned by environmental groups and several board members.

The Group Against Smog and Pollution and Clean Water Action spoke at the board meeting in opposition to the request and urged the board to establish clear criteria for prioritizing future funding requests.

Kathy Lawson, Clean Water Action's Western Pennsylvania director, said the board shouldn't consider funding a road project with "pseudo-air quality benefits" while failing to act on proposed improvement of the county's Air Toxic Guidelines for almost a year.

Mr. Flynn, who is a Board of Health member, said he had questions himself about whether the request for money from the $8.1 million Clean Air Fund was appropriate, adding that he didn't know the Public Works Department had submitted it.

The Clean Air Fund money, which comes from fines paid by industries for air quality violations, can be used only for activities or programs related to improvement of air quality within the county.