Blog: Dermot Cole
Scientists wanted higher pollution standards than EPA approved
Published Saturday, August 22, 2009
The pollution standards for dirt in the air established by the EPA that Fairbanks will struggle to meet are lower than those proposed by the independent scientific advisory committee set up to counsel the agency on such matters.
The political wrangling that led to the new standards is relevant to the current discussion of particulate pollution in Fairbanks.
It's highly likely that there will be a campaign for higher standards in the future and not just because a District of Columbia appeals court has found that EPA has not done enough to protect the public health.
The EPA set a standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter during the Bush administration. The scientific advisory committee to the EPA had suggested that the level be within the range of 25 to 35 micrograms.
The EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee said in a March 2006 letter that it understood that "as a policy judgment, the high end of the suggested range was chosen."
In this case, the "high end" means a greater level of pollution. Had the EPA chosen the strictest pollution level proposed by the committee, it would mean a reduction of nearly 30 percent in the level that triggers an air quality violation.
And had the EPA chosen the more restrictive end of that range, Fairbanks would face a much steeper challenge in meeting the standard.
It's likely that future years will see increased national debate about reducing the pollution level, "as a policy matter."
The so-called "fine particulates" are about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller.
When inhaled, they can lodge deep in the lungs, the scientists say, leading to increases in asthma, lung disease, cardiovascular disease and a range of other problems.
It was in dealing with the annual standard that the EPA did not follow the committee's recommendations to set it at 13 or 14 micrograms, instead of 15.
Had the EPA lowered the annual figure as proposed, Fairbanks would probably violate that standard, creating more pressure for reducing emissions in this part of the Tanana Valley.
No doubt there will be renewed efforts and more consideration given to the stricter air standards now that the Bush administration has been replaced by the Obama administration.
In its March 2006 letter, the committee said this about the proposed annual standard:
"In summary, the epidemiologic evidence, supported by emerging mechanistic understanding, indicates adverse effects of PM2.5 at current annual average levels below 15 μg/m3.
The PM Panel realized the uncertainties involved in setting an appropriate, health-protective level for the annual standard, but noted that the uncertainties would increase rapidly below the level of 13 μg/m3. That is the basis for the PM Panel recommendation of a level at 13 - 14 μg/m3.
Therefore, the CASAC requests reconsideration of the proposed ruling for the level of the annual PM2.5 NAAQS so that the standard is set within the range previously recommended by the PM Panel, i.e., 13 to 14 μg/m3.
For the complete letter, go to http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casac-ltr-06-002.pdf
For the members of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, go to http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabpeople.nsf/WebCommitteesSubcommittees/CASAC%20Particulate%20Matter%20Review%20Panel
This document deals with the current EPA effort to update the national air standards: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/data/20090227PMNAAQSREA.pdf
Ohh, whooopie Whoooo,
Gee thanks EPA , It doesn't matter what "standards" they come up with, We'll all fail anyway. This is an out of control bureaucracy , making work to justify their existence at tax payers expense. It's time for Alaska to exert States Rights.
BullsEye, before we exercise any states' rights, we'll have to wean ourselves from the Federal teat. That's how they enforce these things: they deny the state money until we have a plan to comply. That, and they start making noises about not stationing any more troops here (or maybe removing some in the future).
I think the scientists name that headed this project is Ben Dover. But thats just what I was told. So don't quote me on that. Further research and maybe I can find out for sure.
If you 3 want to suck dirt into your lungs, thereby decreasing the length and well being of your life, by all means do so. In the meantime, scientists will continue studying pollution to determine what levels are safe or unsafe. The federal government and certain proactive state governments will then pass regulations protecting the rest of us and our children from people like you.
Looks like someone had fun with me and thats not his name.
For those that have a hard time understanding the situation . Below is the picture . A very similarity , that will happen to the North Star Borough if they do not obey the EPA . Now blame your Borough Mayor , your Borough Assembly , and vote to except , or reject it . In the end the Borough will lose a lot of Fed money , or obey . If you have doubts read the article .
http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2009......
"Federal officials have rejected Missouri's request for $133 million in federal stimulus funds to boost unemployment benefits."
At issue was a provision in the federal stimulus package that includes $7 billion for states that permanently expand eligibility for jobless benefits. States had to implement the changes before receiving the federal money.
"Once we've taken the bait -- which is the money -- then we've also taken the hook," said Fisher, R-Richards.
All of this is Obama's fault , he caused it all , going back twenty to forty years , maybe longer . May have started the day he was born , or a few years before . The Messiah can do that you know . You unbelievers , don't mess with the Messiah .
Hypochondriacs.
And yet, not one is complaining about their backdrafting furnaces. Oh wait... that's what doctors are for.
Not too mention, lack of distance between individual buildings or heating sources.
A patch to a hack, to a patch. Which ever method makes more money. :-/
Ok here is what yall do in Fairbanks...ready?..Go north up the Steese to the highest ridge,,level the whole ridge with platoon of D-10s.flatten the whole ridge which is about 20 miles. Install huge fans and when the air starts to get bad turn them all on. I mean 20' blade fans. As much as the Borough has spent in the past 41 years my idea would be cheap!!!
Yeh, and we could use the fans as a wind farm to produce electricity.
Let the chips fall where they may,
We will NOT be blackmailed , we're Alaskans and we can do without the feds in our face.
Besides, the left is going to get creamed in 2010 and 2012.
And this October here in Fairbanks, 3 lefty assembly members will lose and we'll get a real person as Mayor,..Tammie Wilson.
Bark,
The link has to the NewTribune article has expired. But if the threat of withholding funds that were stolen from the public in the first place (Or in the case of stimulus funds, stolen from our children.)is the moral equivalent of blackmail. Is our federal government run by a branch of the Samali Pirates?
District of Columbia appeals court has found that EPA has not done enough to protect the public health.
If you look back to when the EPA first got started you will find that they were not formed to "protect" anything. They were founded to "enforce" what ever the feds decided to make up. They will never stop making new "standards", because without them they have no job.
Blackmail is the only word that applys here, and yes we are all the ones who have to pay the demands, sooner or later.
The fans were discussed in the early sixties.
In a perfect world we could all have affordable clean energy, but we are very. very far from that perfect world today. In Washington State they have both affordable electricity ($.07 kWh) and cheap natural gas ($1.53 CCF). Switching from wood to electric or gas heat is not a financial burden on anyone. In Fairbanks we have no affordable alternative and this switch could cost households thousands of dollars per year.
The borough had not positively identified all sources of particulates, but they do know that 70-80% of the pollution is from non-wood sources. A logical attainment plan would address all potential sources and not place the sole burden of attainment on one segment of the population that can least afford it.
Much like the I/M program was made obsolete by improvement in automotive technology, mainly the advent of fuel injection, the PM problem will disappear when we have a cleaner fuel source. Instead of levying punitive punishments for burning wood our leadership should be putting their efforts towards attaining cleaner fuels for the interior.
If you offer me affordable natural gas, propane or electricity you can have my wood stove. Until then we are going to fight this every step of the way.
Justin Powell - Interior Wood Burners Association
http://interiorwba.com
We have to keep in mind that the recommendations were made without considering of the cost of correcting the problem or the benefits of spending that money to address other problems. They simply said fine particulate pollution increases the incidence of pulmonary related health problems.
They didn't evaluate the cost benefits of solving that problem relative to spending money to resolve other problems.
Similar analysis standards are applied to the study of occupational health and safety. There are basically two government agency that address occupational safety: the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). NIOSH studies problems from the perspective of minimizing risk. OSHA considers the cost of reducing risk verses the benefit. NIOSH Standards are therefore always more conservative than OSHA standards.
In the case of fine particulate contamination, OSHA standards allow for more fine particulate contamination of the air in the work place, even those the expected individual exposure time is far greater.
More importantly though, I'd like to see a study commissioned to determine the adverse health effects of the stress caused by dealing with government regulators.
As Mr. Cole points out, trying to comply with the standards is futile, because the regulators will simply lower them to maintain their control. Therefore, we might as well tell them to take a hike now and suffer their wrath, because we will have to tell them to take a hike eventually.
HEY congrats FDNM,,I see you are letting peeps know that thier words were deleted instead of sneakingly editing them!!!! Glad to some honesty!!!!!!!....Ive been havign you checked fand its taken you 2 months to do so,,little slow,,but good tosee,,NOW dont go Nazi on us editing our words!!!,,NO 451F stuff ok?
since1971,
Did you ever think of how much heat that would be driven out of buildings , from all that wind that those fans would create ? The more wind the more wood burned !!!
On Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 the I/M and Air Pollution Control Committee will be discussing and taking public hearing on the Draft Ordinance concerning PM 2.5 at the borough building. We all need to attend this.
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