EPA vows more smog scrutiny

EPA vows more smog scrutiny

To settle suit, it will list areas exceeding the limit

By Morgan Simmons, News-Sentinel staff writer
November 15, 2002

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will move to enforce a stricter public health standard for ozone as a result of a lawsuit settlement reached with health and environmental groups.

"Now states across the Southeast can begin the work necessary to protect the most vulnerable, including children, seniors, asthmatics, and others with chronic lung disease," said Ulla Reeves, regional air director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, one of the groups involved in the settlement.

Under the settlement announced Thursday, EPA has agreed to determine which areas of the country fail to meet the new eight-hour standard for ground-level ozone, or smog.

EPA strengthened the national ozone standard five years ago to better protect children and other vulnerable populations against the damaging respiratory effects of ozone.

Six months ago a coalition of national and state health and environmental groups moved to sue EPA for failing to determine which cities and counties around the country have failed to meet the new standard.

Under the settlement, EPA has agreed to formally determine by April 2004 which areas fail to meet the new standard.

"This puts EPA on a hard, fast deadline," Reeves said. "Once these areas are designated to be in noncompliance, they'll have to come up with a plan."

The American Lung Association estimates there are 59 cities and counties across the Southeast that violate the eight-hour ozone standard, based on local monitoring. In East Tennessee they include Anderson, Blount, Knox, Jefferson, Meigs, and Roane counties.

Last spring the American Lung Association ranked Knoxville as the eighth most ozone-polluted city in the United States. It was Knoxville's third - and worst - ranking on the list. In 2000, the first year the report was issued, Knoxville ranked 12th, and in 2001 the city was ninth in ozone levels.

Ground level ozone - not to be confused with the beneficial ozone layer that filters the sun's ultraviolet rays - is an odorless, colorless respiratory irritant that forms when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from factories, automobiles and coal-burning power plants mix with sunlight.

Researchers believe that about a third of the nitrogen oxides that form ozone come from stationary sources such as power plants, while another third comes from vehicles. The remaining third is produced by various industries and non-road vehicles.

Ozone pollution is considered the top environmental threat to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This summer the park issued 43 ozone advisories, up from 14 advisories in 2001. In addition to hurting human health, high ozone levels are causing serious damage to some 30 species of plants inside the park.

Tony DeLucia, chairman of the national board for the American Lung Association, said Thursday's settlement is especially good news for the 30 million Americans who live with chronic lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

"We're excited to see this in light of the growing climate to turn back some of the strengths of the Clean Air Act," DeLucia said. "This isn't about causing industry to recoil; it's about protecting the people the Clean Air Act is supposed to protect, especially elderly people and people who love to exercise outdoors."

Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321 or simmonsm@knews.com.