Several counties in violation of smog guidelines
NASHVILLE (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to include most of Tennessee’s major cities on a list of areas failing to meet tougher new smog standards.
In a report to be released Thursday, the metro areas of Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Clarksville likely won’t meet the standards, said Ed Cole, chief of environment and planning for the state Department of Transportation.
Nashville, which has had a vehicle inspection program since the 1980s, will be a close call, he said.
“We anticipate counties in Tennessee will be designated for non-attainment,” Cole said. “If that happens, all transportation projects must conform with the state’s air quality plan.”
State and local officials will then have three years to develop a plan for how they intend to clean the dirty air and meet the new rules.
That plan could include reducing speed limits, building high occupancy vehicle lanes on interstates, starting mass transit projects, requiring low-sulfur diesel fuel and restricting lawnmowers during hot weather, Cole said.
The new rules might also mean vehicle inspections for drivers in rural counties near the cities.
The EPA report is expected show a 100 percent increase in the number of counties nationwide that fail to meet tougher air pollution standards.
About 300 counties are expected to be in violation of the revised rules, and about 200 adjacent counties will face increased restrictions because they contribute to pollution in counties now violating the new rules.
The tougher air pollution standards are likely to affect some of the best known and most heavily used national parks, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
The new rules also could lead to advisories in smog-prone areas, warning parents to keep their children indoors on days when the air is bad.
“Citizens respond if given good information and given clear-cut action to take,” Cole said. “On days when there’s a high probability of ozone formation, we’d issue an advisory saying don’t mow the yard, car pool to work or take the bus. Don’t make extra trips to the store — anything you can do to reduce internal combustion engine use while the alert is in effect.”
The old rules measured peak exposure to ground-level ozone, a precursor to smog, over one-hour periods. The new rules measure ozone over eight hours.
The nation’s air is significantly cleaner since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. But researchers have found that even small amounts of air pollution can be harmful and the standards have been continually toughened in an effort to reduce pollution.
The new standard stems from efforts begun in 1997 under President Clinton.
Counties violating the new rules may be able to extend the deadline for compliance by creating Early Action Compacts, or agreements to reduce pollution in the region. If the EPA doesn’t endorse the plan, the deadline for meeting the new standard would be tight, Cole said.