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DEP Seeking Upgrade To Greene County's Federal Air Quality Ozone Designation

Posted on: Friday, 10 November 2006, 09:00 CST

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Air quality in Greene County is meeting the federal government's health-based requirements for ground-level ozone, but ensuring continued compliance with the more protective standards will require even greater pollution reductions over the next decade.

"Failure to meet clean-air standards hinders economic growth," Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. "Pennsylvania's Clean Vehicles Program will help to bring us into attainment, meaning our state can attract new business and accommodate growing businesses without getting tripped up by what can be a cumbersome and costly process in areas designated as in nonattainment."

DEP will petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to re-designate Greene County from nonattainment to attainment for the eight-hour ozone air quality standards based on 2003 to 2005 ambient air quality concentrations. The request refers only to smog-forming ozone, not particulate matter.

In order to qualify for the re-designation, DEP must demonstrate an area can maintain air quality at the required levels for the next 10 years, as required under the federal Clean Air Act. Reading's proposed maintenance plan, which will be submitted to EPA as a revision to the State Implementation Plan, includes additional emission reductions from the transportation sector.

Cars contribute about a third of the state's smog-producing emissions. They also emit toxic pollutants like benzene. People are driving more and more -- Pennsylvanians increase their vehicle miles driven by some 2 percent every year -- so improving vehicle technology will preserve mobility while protecting public health and the environment.

Two of the state's independent regulatory review panels -- the Environmental Quality Board and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission - - have approved revisions to Pennsylvania's Clean Vehicles Program. DEP adopted the plan in 1998 to phase in stricter auto emissions standards to ensure cleaner, healthier air across the commonwealth -- all at no overall additional cost to consumers.

The state program locks in model year 2008 as the compliance date for new emission standards for new passenger cars and light-duty trucks in Pennsylvania, and requires automakers to make their overall fleet cleaner, substantially reducing toxic pollution and securing thousands-of-tons-per-year more ozone-producing emission reduction benefits over the long term than a less stringent federal program.

However, an effort is under way in the House of Representatives to repeal the stricter requirements and replace them with the weaker federal standards. The Rendell administration opposes this legislation. The House may take up the measure later this month before adjourning the two-year session.

"The Greene County re-designation proposal demonstrates why Pennsylvania's Clean Vehicles Program is so important," McGinty said. "Ensuring long-term compliance with federal air quality requirements means finding ways to reduce emissions from mobile sources."

DEP already has submitted re-designations for Lancaster and Tioga counties, which are pending with EPA, and is preparing a re-designation request for Reading, Berks County.

Failure to meet clean-air standards can hinder economic growth, because new businesses face steeper environmental hurdles to operate in places designated as being in nonattainment. Fewer emission reductions from mobile sources mean more reductions would need to be mandated for factories, power plants and manufacturers.

Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians live in areas that failed to meet the more protective ozone standard and were designated as "nonattainment" by EPA in 2004. Volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide are the primary components of ground-level ozone, or smog, which adversely affects the health of millions of Pennsylvania residents, especially children. Heart problems and respiratory problems, including asthma, are exacerbated by unhealthy air.

DEP will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the Reading re- designation proposal at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19 in the Greene County Office Building at 93 E. High St. in Waynesburg.

Individuals who want to testify at the hearing should contact Yvette House by e-mail at yhouse@state.pa.us or by telephone at 717-787-9495 to reserve a time. Those who do not reserve a time may testify as time allows. Each witness has 10 minutes, and written copies of testimony should be provided to DEP. The department will accept written comments until Dec. 22.

The re-designation proposal is available on DEP's Web site at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/ by choosing "Air Topics." For more information on ozone designations and air quality, visit the department's Web site and use Keyword: "Air Quality."

CONTACT: Kurt M. Knaus

717-787-1323

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

CONTACT: Kurt M. Knaus of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department ofEnvironmental Protection, +1-717-787-1323

Web site: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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