EPA: Pittsburgh misses ozone mark

‘ ‘ ‘ The Environmental Protection Agency announced that because the Pittsburgh area has not… ‘ ‘ ‘ The Environmental Protection Agency announced that because the Pittsburgh area has not met federal health standards for ozone, it might reclassify the area, placing limits on new industries and road building within the city limits. ‘ ‘ ‘ The EPA measures an area’s ozone value based on a three-year time period, said Christopher Cripps, an environmental engineer for the EPA. Pittsburgh’s reading for 2005-2007, of 87 parts per billion, didn’t meet the federal standard set in 1997, which is 80 parts per billion. ‘ ‘ ‘ If Pittsburgh’s ozone level doesn’t improve, the EPA will reclassify the area, which recently became ‘moderate non-attainment,’ to ‘serious non-attainment’ in 2010. ‘ ‘ ‘ While Pittsburgh struggles to meet an old ozone standard, Pitt continues to help improve the city’s air quality, said John Fedele, Pitt spokesman. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Some of the things we are doing is encouraging car pooling,’ said Fedele. Car poolers receive a discount on a monthly parking lease. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt also provides students with pre-paid Port Authority passes, which helps alleviate traffic, said Fedele. In addition, bike racks are placed throughout campus to promote bike riding instead of driving. ‘ ‘ ‘ Another big thing Pitt will do is use a new steam plant, which will reduce emissions from heating buildings by 46 percent. ‘ ‘ ‘ While the standard was set 12 years ago, Cripps noted that the litigation on it went to a court of appeals just months after it was set because many transportation organizations and other industries filed petitions against it. ‘ ‘ ‘ After two years in the court of appeals, the litigation went to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1999, and the standard was approved in 2001. However, it wasn’t implemented until April 2004 because the question arose of how the EPA would implement the standard. ‘ ‘ ‘ Because of this, Cripps said that ‘if an area meets the 1997 standard right now, it isn’t that bad because the standard wasn’t implemented until five years ago … but Pittsburgh still isn’t even close.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Because of the EPA’s stricter ozone standard set in May 2008, which is 74 parts per billion, Pittsburgh is now further from reaching these guidelines. ‘It doesn’t seem likely that Pittsburgh will obtain the new standard by 2010,’ said Cripps. ‘In fact, it seems nearly impossible.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The new EPA standard is based on ‘public health and welfare with ample margin of safety,’ said Cripps. ‘ ‘ ‘ It is unknown if the current levels are safe until the long-term effects are seen, he said, but for now the EPA has set a standard based on current research. ‘ ‘ ‘ Cripps said the EPA analyzed how long it might take the area to meet the current standards, and it came up with the year 2020, ‘but Pittsburgh could possibly obtain the standard sooner depending on how we choose to classify it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ To meet the 2008 standard the state of Pennsylvania must first create a plan to meet the 1997 standard and work from there. Also, the state has already set its own rules regarding car and truck emissions, and also implemented more thorough vehicle-inspection programs. Cripps said, ‘The immediate impacts aren’t as big because they’ve already been done.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Joseph Osborne, legal director of Group Against Smog and Pollution, mentioned local efforts such as Allegheny Places, which develops comprehensive plans for the development and conservation of the county, as one factor that might help Pittsburgh meet the new ozone standard. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We need to rely more on federal regulations to make this happen than on local efforts,’ said Osborne. ‘Ozone is the type of gas that is so widespread that it covers the entire northeast region. Therefore, we can try to reduce it in our area, but we can’t stop it from blowing in from other places.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Dan Volz, a researcher in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, agreed that the area’s ozone levels have a lot to do with the surrounding areas and the region’s topography. ‘ ‘ ‘ One of the problems is that Pittsburgh is in a valley, which makes it hard for chemicals to leave our area, he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Volz also said that the ozone level in our area is a product of the old coal-fire plants along the Ohio and Allegheny rivers that emit chemicals. The winds carry the problem east and toward Pittsburgh. ‘ ‘ ‘ High ozone levels aren’t ‘totally a problem of our own making,’ said Volz, because many of these plants are located as far as Ohio, out of Pennsylvania government jurisdiction. ‘ ‘ ‘ Students, along with experts and professionals, share in the concern that Pittsburgh will again be reclassified in 2010 if it doesn’t improve its ozone levels. ‘ ‘ ‘ Osborne agreed. ‘The fact that we still haven’t met a standard that is obsolete is a bit worrisome,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ However, Osborne noted that ozone levels are often out of human control, as much of it is based on temperatures in the summer. A lot of what will happen in 2010 is based on what the weather in the summer is like, he said. ‘If we have a good summer, we can probably just meet the standard.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Smog levels often elevate in the summer when the sun is strong and temperatures are high. The sunlight reacts with ground-level pollutants and generates high ozone levels. ‘ ‘ ‘ Cripps also said the summer temperatures will be the major determining factor in whether Pittsburgh is reclassified. ‘ ‘ ‘ Summer weather aside, Pittsburgh might qualify for a one- or two-year extension to meet the current ozone standards based on its improvements, which the EPA will look at in March 2009, according to Cripps. ‘ ‘ ‘ Every three years, the EPA takes a reading of an area’s ozone level, and based upon this reading, the area is classified as ‘attainment,’ ‘non-attainment,’ ‘moderate non-attainment’ or ‘serious non-attainment.’ Areas are classified depending on how far they are from meeting the air quality standard. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The state needs a real implementation plan,’ said Osborne, ‘not just a county planning committee, which gives friendly suggestions instead of setting rules.’