State including fine particle pollution in air quality forecasts
Pam Barkey met with local leaders at the Knox County Health Department on Monday and told them fine particle pollution alerts could be issued at any time during the year, as opposed to ground-level ozone alerts that are only issued between March 1 and Oct. 31.
State officials began including fine particle pollution readings in their forecasts for East Tennessee on Oct. 1. The airborne particles such as soot are smaller than 1/30 the diameter of a human hair.
They are small enough to enter the bloodstream and cause heart problems — as well as irritating respiratory conditions like asthma. Groups at-risk for particle-related health problems include active children, the elderly and those engaging in outdoor exercise.
Power plants and vehicle emissions are the biggest producers of fine particle pollution.
Local officials expect the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate Knox County a nonattainment area for fine particle pollution before the end of the year. That means Knox and surrounding counties likely won’t meet tough new particle standards set by the EPA.
If that happens, the counties could lose federal money for highway construction and face restrictions on new industries.
Several East Tennessee counties already are out of compliance with ground-level ozone standards.
“Knox County most definitely will be (out of compliance), because we have violations on our monitors,” said Lynne Liddington, Knox County’s air quality director.
Like ground-level ozone, officials say fine particles are a big contributor to East Tennessee’s smoggy skies.
Jim Renfro of the National Park Service said visibility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is only 15 miles on hazy days, which can be a deterrent to visitors.
“There’s a general awareness that air pollution is harming the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and they want to get it fixed,” Renfro said.
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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com