Proposed New Clean Air Standards are up for public debate
by Carolyn Chase
he federal Environmental Protec- tion Agency
has proposed stricter limits on ozone a major component of smog and "particulate
matter" (PM2.5) tiny particles produced by coal-burning power plants,
steel mills and motor vehicles burning diesel fuel. Although the proposed
limits are supported locally by the Lung Association, Citizen's for Clean
Air Policy and the Sierra Club, San Diego Mayor Susan Golding testified
against raising these standards before a Congressional House subcommittee
during Earth Week.
Despite the fact that San Diego County currently
exceeds the federal and state health standards for smog and the state standard
for fine particulate (known as PM10) air pollution, Golding said the San
Diego area's current efforts have proven more than adequate in reducing
air pollution.
"The emission reductions well is dry,"
Golding said. "Any future minimal reductions from stationary sources
can only come from drilling the well deeper into smaller businesses or industries
with small emissions such as biotechnology, electronics or agriculture.
And at what cost?"
The EPA, she said, "should withdraw the
proposed standards ... and further scientifically analyze the potential
health benefits."
Golding's testimony was criticized by Jan Cortez,
program director of the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial
Counties. "We feel very strongly that the new ozone standards are needed
to protect San Diegans' health," she said. National representatives
of the ALA stated, "polluters have begun a multi-million dollar lobbying
and propaganda effort to kill new health standards. These polluters would
put their private profits ahead of the public good and the health of tens
of millions of Americans." The ALA added that even the new standards
"would still leave 89 million people potentially exposed to dangerous
levels of deadly particle pollution."
Local Sierra Club volunteers collected more
than 1,200 post cards at the EarthFair in Balboa Park to send to President
Clinton in support of the proposed health-based standards. Research reported
by the Club contradicts Golding's fears that standards will cost too much.
For example, research shows that rather than costing agriculture, farmers
will benefit under new clean air standards. New standards will help protect
farmers and workers who have to work outdoors, as well as reduce crop damage
from air pollution.
Air pollution causes crop damage even at levels
below the current, legal standard. Studies show that smog significantly
reduces the yield of key commodity crops. According to the National Crop
Loss Assessment Network Ozone Study, reduced crop yields from dirty air
annually cost our country one billion bushels of corn and more than two
hundred million bushels of soybeans.
In California, the agriculture sector is already
experiencing problems caused by air pollution. In January, 1997, the San
Joaquin Valley Air Quality Study Policy Committee released a final report
showing that smog can affect the yield and weight of some of the Valley's
most important cash crops, including cotton, grapes, oranges, nuts and some
stone fruit. Research by the Air Resource Board in California shows that
San Joaquin Valley agriculture loses nearly $1 billion annually from the
effects of air pollution.
The locally-based non-profit Citizen's for
Clean Air Policy, has also submitted comments on the proposed standards.
They state, "Recent scientific studies have shown that current standards
are too weak to protect children and adults with asthma and too weak to
protect healthy adults who exercise outdoors." Their comments continue,
"The EPA's proposal to strengthen national ambient air quality standards
for ozone and particulate matter is a progressive measure in equalizing
the efforts of other states to meet the current, more stringent California
programs already in place."
Golding used the City Council hearing for Earth
Day to clarify her remarks by stating, "I'm in favor of clean air,
live with an asthmatic, and my family has allergies. But we need a regional
approach with the best possible science."
CCAP is promoting a new bill introduced in
the State Senate: the "Heavy-Duty Vehicle Air Quality Improvement Program."
SB1096 would offer financial incentives and tax credits for the switch to
cleaner fuels in heavy-duty vehicles and for refueling stations to support
those vehicles. Although heavy-duty vehicles comprise only about 8 percent
of the vehicles on the road, they emit nearly 60 percent of the unhealthy
pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) into
the air.
CCAP believes that improved standards, combined
with programs such as those in SB1096, will create new jobs and clear the
air at the same time. The best answer is not to protest against health standards
but find productive ways to incentivize the transition to cleaner fuels
and higher air quality standards and create jobs in the process.
To support SB1096, contact your State Senate
or Assembly Member. The address for all members is Sacramento CA 95814.
For more information or for assistance in identifying your state representatives,
call Jim Bartell or David Jacobs at CCAP at (619) 687-7000.
Individuals interested in commenting on the
proposed Clean Air Standards can contact your federal representatives by
calling the Capitol Switchboard, (202) 224-3121.
provided by American Lung Assocation of San Diego & Imperial Counties
he purpose of Clean Air Month is to increase the community's
attention to the importance of improving and protecting the quality of the
air we breathe and to increase public awareness that healthful air is each
person's responsibility and right.
Currently, San Diego County exceeds the federal
and state health standards for smog and the state standard for particulate
(known as PM10) air pollution.
The people at greatest risk are children, the
elderly, asthmatics, those with chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease
and heavy outdoor exercisers. Children are particularly sensitive to air
pollution due to exposure to irritants during exercise and their inhalation
of greater amounts of air per surface areas of their lungs, compared to
adults. In children under two years of age, the ability to protect lungs
against foreign particles and gases is not fully developed.
Activities during the month will include: "Get
a Tune-Up Day (May 22), Bike to Work Day (May 22), and Clean Commute Day
(May 30)
More information is available on the American
Lung Association Website at www.lungusa.org
or by calling (619) 297-3901.
Sensitive Groups |
Number of San Diegans |
| Children under 13 | 576,566 |
| People over 65 | 273,222 |
| Children with asthma | 44,953 |
| Adults with chronic bronchitis or emphysema | 140,269 |
As you can see from these numbers, around one-third of San Diego County's 2.3 million residents are most at risk from the effects oif air pollution.
