Duquesne Light Riazzi Substation
in Panther Hollow

Stephen A. Zappala Jr.
District Attorney of Allegheny County

District Attorney Zappala,

Residents of Panther Hollow have some grave concerns pertaining to the Duquesne Light Riazzi Substation in Panther Hollow.

When I conducted an investigation about possible wrongdoing in the matter of the city's application for a roadway from the former Almono (now Hazelwood Green) site, through Panther Hollow, to Pitt and CMU, I gave the packet of information to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. The reply from his office was that they investigate when information is given to them by the F.B.I. When I gave the same investigative information to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the reply from his office was that the issue was a local one and it should be handled by your office.

Therefore, our community is reaching out to your office to conduct an investigation on the local issue of this substation. Our community received no notice of a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission hearing that granted Duquesne Light permission to build this substation. Also, our community has not seen any environmental or health studies as to how this substation will impact our residents, especially the elderly who are the most vulnerable.

I suggest your office can begin an investigation by contacting Councilman Bruce Kraus, the city's law department, Representative Dan Frankel, and Oakland Planning and Development Corporation Executive Director Wanda Wilson for all of the information they have about this issue, especially violations of the law.

Your office can follow up further by contacting Duquesne Light President and CEO Steven E. Malnight, former President and CEO Rich Riazzi, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, and CMU President Farnam Jahanian. These individuals could be asked regarding when and how many meetings they conducted about this substation prior to PUC approval to build it, and also why our community was ignored and never informed of these meetings.

This is not the first time our historic Panther Hollow community has defended its right to be protected and preserved. In 1963, then-Pitt Chancellor Edward Litchfield wanted to destroy Central Catholic High School, Panther Hollow, and the Four Mile Run neighborhood in Greenfield for his university's futuristic 21st century research park. Then, in 2015, the city planned to build the above mentioned roadway which is still an ongoing effort, and now the Duquesne Light Riazzi Substation is approved to be built in our neighborhood.

Though the residents in our neighborhood are fewer in number today, our resolve and desire to fight injustice is just as strong as ever. We are reaching out to you to do what is morally right, and conduct an investigation into the Duquesne Light Riazzi Substation in Panther Hollow.

Thank you
Carlino Giampolo
February 24, 2020

Note: District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has not responded.