Sundquist, two others sign air quality pact

By Hayes Hickman · Jews-Sentinel

In this mention

Governors of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia signed the Southern Air Principles, a cooperative agreement to improve regional air quality, at the third annual Governor's Summit on Mountain Air Quality in Gatlinburg. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, praised the governors for holding the summit but criticized the lack of substantive action, calling for greater energy efficiency improvements and federal power plant emissions controls. The agreement calls for joint progress reports and recommendations on multi-pollutant strategy, with particular focus on reducing emissions from coal-fired TVA power plants and transportation sources.

But we're unhappy that we're still talking about this issue ... there's not enough substance here.
Stephen A. Smith

Original clipping

PDF didn't open? Open it in a new tab →

Sundquist, two others sign air quality pact
By Hayes Hickman
Jews-Sentinel staff writer

GATLINBURG — Gov. Don Sundquist joined his counterparts from North Carolina and Georgia in signing the Southern Air Principles on Friday, a cooperative agreement for each state to take an active role in improving the region's air quality.

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley and Gov. Roy Barnes of Georgia, along with Sundquist, presented the joint plan at the third annual Governor's Summit on Mountain Air Quality.

"Air pollution isn't confined by state boundaries," Sundquist said. "It is imperative that we, as Southern states, work together in taking proactive measures to protect the air quality of our region."

The agreement calls for the chief environmental officers of each state to provide a joint progress report to the governors by Dec. 31 and to make recommendations on a multi-pollutant strategy by March 15, 2002.

The summit included commentary from a variety of panelists who discussed the sources of the region's air problems, primarily coal-fired electricity plants operated by TVA, as well as increasing demands on transportation.

While emissions from vehicles account for about 25 percent of Tennessee's air pollution, steps to improve such mobile sources cannot be expected to provide short-term solutions, said Wayne Davis, a featured speaker and professor and coordinator of the University of Tennessee's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

"We have to reduce emissions from other sources, from electric sources and other industries," Davis said.

Sundquist said many of those short-term improvements are already being made. Tennessee has worked with TVA to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent of 1995 levels by 2004. And by the end of 2001 TVA is expected to cut those 1995 emission levels by 50 percent.

North Carolina was also credited for its attempts, including a clean smokestack bill, which is being considered by the state legislature.

However, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park still has ozone levels that rival Atlanta and Knox County, and is one area threatened by the EPA's nonattainment status — and that brought complaints.

"We applaud the governors on the third year straight for holding a summit on mountain air quality," said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

"But we're unhappy that we're still talking about this issue ... there's not enough substance here." Smith and representatives with other regional environmental groups said the states should take more action to improve energy efficiency and work to support federal legislation to control power plant emissions.