Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. Addresses Air Quality Issues in Tennessee and the Great Smokies

By Ulla-Britt Reeves

On Jan. 14, the Tennessee Clean Air Taskforce hosted Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. (TN, D-9th) in East Tennessee to address air quality issues in the Great Smoky Mountains and the state. Rep. Ford's concern for the declining air quality in the mountains and across the state brought him from Memphis to the Riverside Tavern in Knoxville to learn more about the problems and facilitate a discussion on solutions.

Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. Addresses Air Quality Issues in Tennessee and the Great Smokies

Briefing and panel discussion in Knoxville sought solutions to state's serious air pollution problems

Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (right) confers with Great Smoky Mountains National Park Air Resource Specialist Jim Renfro and Stephen Smith of the Tennessee Valley Energy Reform Coalition during a visit to the park this January.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the state of Tennessee continue to suffer from some of the worst air quality problems in the United States. In the summer of 1999, the park experienced 52 days of unhealthy air quality for park visitors. Environmental damage due to air pollution is evident in plants, streams and soils.

The health impacts of air pollution alone are cause for concern. Ground-level ozone pollution, commonly known as "smog," triggered more than 6 million asthma attacks during the summer of 1997. While smog impacts the respiratory function of even the healthiest adults, it is especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and the 15 million Americans who suffer from asthma. Evidence points to coal-fired electric power plants followed by vehicles and industry as the leading causes of this pollution.

"We applaud Congressman Ford's leadership in facilitating a discussion aimed at finding a solution to one of Tennessee's greatest problems: air pollution," said Dr. Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Tennessee Valley Energy Reform Coalition. "Air pollution knows no boundaries and directly affects the Great Smokies National Park. Moreover, TVA is the state's largest polluter and is a federal corporation. Together these are all reasons why we need our federal representatives to provide much-needed leadership to help us find a workable solution."

Congressman Ford's visit is a step in this direction. Representatives from the National Park Service, the American Lung Association, and the Tennessee Clean Air Taskforce briefed the congressman on air quality issues relating to health and environmental impacts and solutions to air problems at the National Park Headquarters in Gatlinburg.

Congressman Ford then led a dialogue between a panel of air-quality specialists and the public audience of stakeholders from the environmental, health, business, and TVA communities. Panel members included the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains Alliance of Communities, the Gatlinburg Gateway Foundation, NOAA, TVA, SAMI, Tennessee Clean Air Taskforce, the American Lung Association, and Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The success of this event has encouraged the congressman to continue addressing air pollution as a major problem in Tennessee. Ford is planning a larger, more solution-oriented public hearing in Memphis later this spring.

Reeves is the director of the Tennessee Clean Air Taskforce in Knoxville.