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- The cost of bad air is higher than we tend to realize. According to the American Public Health Association, children lose an estimated 10 million school days each year to asthma. Allergic asthma affects about 3 million children (8 to 12 percent of all children) and 7 million adults in the United States at a cost estimated at $6.2 billion a year. Poor air quality has also been linked to heart disease, lung cancer, and premature death by various medical studies.
It is important to define the types and amounts
of pollutants being targeted (e.g. VOCs, NOx,
PM2.5, toxics, etc.) via the stakeholder process.
In other words, establish an emission reduction
goal up front. This is important so that all stake
holders have the same expectations going into
the process. Further, shared expectations will
help all involved to better understand why some
actions just might not be worthwhile.
- During the stakeholder
process, development of recommended actions will require
background data and information. Sources of this information
may include volunteers sitting on the local stakeholder
committee, local and regional staff, state air quality staff,
and EPA publications.
- Don't be surprised if
stakeholders find it difficult to identify a single, affordable
control strategy
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that
will achieve significant emissions reductions. Implementation
of several control strategies, resulting in many small
reductions, is required to make any significant difference
in air quality on a regional basis. |
- By
April, 2004, the Charlotte region will most likely be declared
non-attainment for the 8-hour Ozone standard, with a similar
designation for particle pollution (PM 2.5) likely taking
place within 6-12 months following the ozone designation.
Once designated as non-attainment, the NC Division of Air
Quality will develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that
outlines how we will attain healthy air quality.
- State air quality agencies
will be looking for local actions to include in the SIP
after the benefits of federal and state air quality improvement
controls have been accounted for.
- Actions developed by
the stakeholder group, with a shared understanding of local
knowledge and needs, will help individual jurisdictions
and state air quality personnel follow through on agreed
upon local controls within the State SIP.
- Even with new federal
regulations for gasoline and diesel engines, additional
reductions in the Charlotte region will be needed to achieve
the 8-hour ozone standard.
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