diff --git a/broker/cloud_run/lsst/ps_to_storage/main.py b/broker/cloud_run/lsst/ps_to_storage/main.py
index ec80a34b..44acbe06 100644
--- a/broker/cloud_run/lsst/ps_to_storage/main.py
+++ b/broker/cloud_run/lsst/ps_to_storage/main.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import math
 import os
 import struct
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict
 from astropy.time import Time
 
 import flask
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 
 client = storage.Client()
 bucket = client.get_bucket(client.bucket(bucket_name, user_project=PROJECT_ID))
-publisher = TOPIC_ALERTS.client
 
 # define a binary data structure for packing and unpacking bytes
 _ConfluentWireFormatHeader = struct.Struct(">bi")
@@ -99,17 +98,17 @@ def store_alert_data(envelope) -> None:
     alert = _unpack_alert(envelope)
 
     blob = bucket.blob(_generate_alert_filename(alert))
-    blob.metadata = create_file_metadata(alert, event_id=envelope["message"]["messageId"])
+    blob.metadata = _create_file_metadata(alert, event_id=envelope["message"]["messageId"])
 
     # raise a PreconditionFailed exception if filename already exists in the bucket using "if_generation_match=0"
     # let it raise. the main function will catch it and then drop the message.
     blob.upload_from_string(base64.b64decode(envelope["message"]["data"]), if_generation_match=0)
 
     # publish alerts to appropriate Pub/Sub topics
-    TOPIC_ALERTS.publish(alert)  # not a duplicate, publish the broker's main "alerts" stream
+    TOPIC_ALERTS.publish(alert)  # deduplicated "alerts" stream
     TOPIC_BIGQUERY_IMPORT.publish(
         _reformat_alert_data_to_valid_json(alert)
-    )  # publish the alert as a JSON message to the bigquery-import topic
+    )  # alert as valid JSON message
 
 
 def _unpack_alert(envelope) -> pittgoogle.Alert:
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ def _unpack_alert(envelope) -> pittgoogle.Alert:
     schema = sr_client.get_schema(schema_id=schema_id)
     parse_schema = json.loads(schema.schema_str)
     schema_version = parse_schema["namespace"].split(".")[1]
-    schema_name = parse_schema["namespace"] + ".alert"  # returns lsst.v7_x.alert string
+    schema_name = parse_schema["namespace"] + ".alert"  # returns "lsst.v7_x.alert"
     alert_dict = fastavro.schemaless_reader(content_bytes, parse_schema)
 
     return pittgoogle.Alert.from_dict(
@@ -184,7 +183,7 @@ def _generate_alert_filename(alert: pittgoogle.Alert) -> str:
     return f"{alert.attributes.get('schema_version')}/{alert_date}/{alert.objectid}/{alert.sourceid}.avro"
 
 
-def create_file_metadata(alert: pittgoogle.Alert, event_id: str) -> dict:
+def _create_file_metadata(alert: pittgoogle.Alert, event_id: str) -> dict:
     """Return key/value pairs to be attached to the file as metadata."""
 
     metadata = {"file_origin_message_id": event_id}
@@ -199,10 +198,9 @@ def create_file_metadata(alert: pittgoogle.Alert, event_id: str) -> dict:
 def _reformat_alert_data_to_valid_json(alert: pittgoogle.alert) -> pittgoogle.alert.Alert:
     """Creates an Alert object whose data will be published as a valid JSON message."""
 
-    cutouts_removed = alert.drop_cutouts()  # remove cutouts
-    valid_json_dict = _reformat_nan_in_alert_dict(
-        cutouts_removed.dict
-    )  # replace NaN values with None
+    # transform data
+    cutouts_removed = alert.drop_cutouts()
+    valid_json_dict = _reformat_nan_in_alert_dict(cutouts_removed)
 
     return pittgoogle.Alert.from_dict(payload=valid_json_dict, attributes=alert.attributes)