Tennesseans willing to pay for cleaner air; survey finds

Tennesseans willing to pay
for cleaner air; survey finds

By Marti Davis
News-Sentinel staff writer

Tennesseans want cleaner air to breathe, and most are willing to pay more to get it, according to a poll released this week by The Tennessee Clean Air Task Force.

Two-thirds of Tennesseans believe air pollution is a serious problem, according to the poll. More than half are willing to pay higher utility bills to clean up the problem.

"The survey clearly shows that the majority of Tennesseans want laws to protect them from unhealthy air," noted Dr. Beth Schapiro, a pollster who conducted the survey of 400 registered voters.

"They realize there are costs involved with improving air quality and are amenable to paying more for it," she added.

Specifically, 60 percent of those polled said they would be willing to pay $1 to $10 more per month on their utility bills to clean up the air they breathe.

Air pollution in East Tennessee reached record levels last summer, especially in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Smokies now has higher levels of air pollution than any national park in the United States, said Jim Renfro, air quality specialist for the national park.

" The survey clearly shows that the majority of Tennesseans want laws to protect them from unhealthy air. "
Dr. Beth Schapiro
Pollster

Renfro said most of the smog and ozone pollution in the Smokies comes from chemicals released by coal-burning power plants in the region. Renfro said many of them burn more fuel in summer months to power air conditioners, and that partially explains the higher pollution levels in summer.

While Renfro avoids blaming the problem on specific power providers, the task force has laid the blame for air pollution in the Smokies squarely at the feet of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

TVA's coal-fired power plants are responsible for 73 percent of the sulfur and

33 percent of the nitrogen oxides released into the air in the Tennessee Valley," said the task force report.

TVA has repeatedly denied it is the major source of air pollution in the Smokies.

Nevertheless, the task force is zeroing in on a loophole in the federal Clean Air Act which exempts TVA's coal-fired plants from meeting current health-based standards.

More than 80 percent of the citizens surveyed said the loophole should be rescinded, according to the task force report.

Don Barger, a spokesman for the National Parks and Conservation Association, said the public's understanding of the air pollution problem in the Smokies is encouraging.

"Our parks have become the canary in the coal mine for air pollution, and it's a song the public hears and understands," said Barger.

The five not-for-profit groups which make up the Tennessee Clean Air Task Force include the National Parks and Conservation Association, the Tennessee Environmental Council, the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, the American Lung Association of Tennessee and Tennessee Valley Energy Reform Coalition.

Marti Davis may be reached at 423-584-5234 or martidav@knoxnews.info.net.