January 16, 2010
OP ED: Air Quality Standards Toughen: What it Means for the Region

By Pam Wall, Executive Director
Triangle Tomorrow
Research Triangle Regional Partnership's Quality-of-Life Program

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed federal pollution standards nationwide to require tougher limits on smog. That means our region would not only flunk the new pollution standards but could face the loss of federal dollars to build highways.  

In the 13-county Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, eight counties currently are designated non-attainment for ozone pollution:  Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Person, Orange and Wake.

The new limits, intended to protect public health, are the strictest ever proposed by the EPA. They will put hundreds of counties across the nation out of compliance and force local officials to find creative new ways to squeeze more pollution reductions from transportation, heavy industry and residents.

In proposing the new limits, the Obama administration acknowledged that the tougher rules could cost electric utilities and oil companies as much as $90 billion in compliance costs. But the federal agency justified the expense by citing the potential savings - between $13 billion and $100 billion per year, depending on where the limit is set, in avoided medical costs and missed workdays from reductions in asthma, bronchitis and other health complications.

When the EPA's proposal is settled, as early as next year, North Carolina will have to present federal regulators with a state plan to meet the new standards. The plan, which could raise power costs and force changes to driving habits, will come from the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. The majority of air pollution in our region comes from vehicle miles traveled.

Triangle Tomorrow has been leading an education and outreach air-quality initiative for the region since 2002, after identifying the region would be designated non-attainment for ozone pollution. If standards change, our region could also be designated for particulate matter pollution.  

In 2003, the N.C. Division of Air Quality gave Triangle Tomorrow a $75,000 grant to direct and grow the Triangle Air Awareness Program. It is the only public/private air quality education and outreach program in the state.

Triangle Tomorrow uses its state funding to support a full-time coordinator and a range of programs focused on raising awareness of the importance of cleaner air to the region's economic competitiveness and promoting better air stewardship.  Our program provides easily accessible information online to enable students, teachers, individuals and businesses to quickly access information about air quality in the region to help residents learn how to take action, be informed and help reduce air pollution. Our popular mascots - CLAIR, the Clean Air Explorer, and CAM, the Clean Air Maniac - make public appearances to promote air quality action. Curricula and materials are available for teachers in the region's elementary schools.

A companion program, the Triangle Air Awareness Coalition, is a free membership program that provides leadership that educates and mobilizes individuals both inside and outside of their organizations to be aware of the air quality forecast, to improve air quality by their actions, and to protect their health on bad air quality days.

Bad air is bad for business. As the Triangle continues to grow and prosper, we must be vigilant about our air quality - not only for our health but for a healthy economy. When corporations begin the search for a new area for relocation or expansion, non-attainment regions are often automatically eliminated from the list. That's because when industries that generate high levels of emissions move into a non-attainment area, such as the Triangle, they must purchase emission credits in order to obtain the required permits for their business. The process of obtaining credits can be time consuming and expensive.

In addition to emissions regulations, relocating companies may also have concerns about the quality of life for their employees and their families. High levels of ground-level ozone can affect a company's bottom line through lost productivity and increased health care costs. Air-quality standards also pose a challenge for companies that are planning to build new manufacturing facilities, install new equipment or make process changes. Those companies must be proactive and work closely with the state to calculate emissions. The cost of purchasing, installing and using the emission-control equipment necessary to comply with environmental regulations are also factored into the site-selection process.  

For more information about air quality and its impact on the region and its business or to get involved, visit www.triangleairawareness.org or contact Jonathan Navarro, (919) 733-1805.