dfw area residents have a new chance for dramatically cleaner air by the end of this year

DFW area residents have a new chance for dramatically cleaner air by the end of this year.

Whether we get it is up to us and how much pressure we can exert on local and state government in the next 6 months.

It’s all about “The S.I.P.”

ADirty = StateAir Implementation

Plan

S.I.P. .

The federal Clean Air Act demands that states that fall short of minimum standards for clean air have to come up with a plan to meet, or “attain” those health-based standards.

So a “S.I.P.” is the official government clean up plan for an area’s dirty air problem.

. One of the most important health-based standards for air quality regulated by the Clean Air Act is for OZONE pollution, otherwise known as SMOG.

DFW has a smog problem. And it’s had one since at least the the 1980’s. The past 2 SIPs for cleaning up the air haven’t worked. That’s why the EPA is demanding a new one for reducing Ozone pollution.

DFW has a smog problem. And it’s had one since at least the the 1980’s. The past 2 SIPs for cleaning up the air haven’t worked. That’s why the EPA is demanding a new one.

From now until June the new SIP,or clean air plan,for DFW is being written and approved.

First by DFW area local elected officials, then by state regulators appointed by Governor Perry.

This is the most important opportunity for cleaner air, sustainable development and practical green thinking in DFW in seven years.

OZONE 101

Air Pollution + Heat/Sunlight = OZONE

Long-term exposure to ozone not only causes and worsens asthma, but also leads to:

Heart DiseaseHigh Blood Pressure MiscarriagesStrokes Male InfertilityHeart Attacks Premature Death

OZONE 101

2005 was the worst summer for ozone violations in DFW.

154 separate violations of the federal Ozone standard over 44 days.

2005 1999 44 days of bad air

1997 37 days 2001 200335 days of bad air 30 days 27 days

OZONE 101

According to the EPA, 2 kinds of air pollution cause Ozone:

1. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) - primarily from combustion engines, large and small boilers and furnaces

2. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - primarily from combustion engines, factories, coatings

OZONE 101

OZONE 101

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s government regulators targeted VOCs, but not Nitrogen Oxides.

This new clean air plan must now correct for that error by targeting and eliminating almost half of all emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in DFW and the

surrounding region between now and 2009.

OZONE 101Where does DFW Nitrogen Oxide pollution come from?

70% 21% 9%VEHICLES POINT SOURCES AREA SOURCES On-road Cement Plants Grills, small boilers, lawn equipment,

etc.

Off-Road Power plants

What Will It Take to Succeed?

To be in “attainment” with the Clean Air Act

standard for Ozone, the DFW area must reduce its emissions of Nitrogen Oxide by 45% or 183 tons of NOx per day

by the summer of 2009.

So the DFW SIP will have to contain many of what are called “NOx Reduction Measures” to achieve that ambitious goal:

New Pollution Controls for Industry

More Sustainable Development

Cleaner Fleets

Cleaner Fuels and Engines

These NOx reduction measures will have to be applied to a large geographical area.

The official 9 County DFW “Non-attainment” area

Statewide

“East Texas”

WHO WILL WRITE THE S.I.P. ?

3. EPA

2. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

1. North Texas Clean Air Steering Committee

NORTH TEXAS CLEAN AIR STEERING COMMITTEE

Who: County Judges from the 9 DFW “Non-attainment” Counties; City Council

members from the larger cities in DFW area; Chambers of Commerce; and

a handful of Citizens’ groups

What: They write the first draft of the S.I.P.

When: Meeting now. Goal of voting on a finished SIP by February 15th.

The two chairs of this committee - Collin Co. Judge Ron Harrisand Dallas Co. Judge Margaret Keliher - took on Congressman “Smokey Joe” Barton over including Ellis Co. and the cement plants in DFW’s official non-attainment area.

THE TEXAS COMMISSION ONENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Who: 3 member state commission. Current members appointed by former Gov. Bush or Gov. Perry

What: They take the draft by the Steering Committee and accept or change it.

When: They say they will begin process inspring for submittal to EPA by July.

TCEQ sabotaged the 1999/2000 S.I.P. with loopholes for the cement plants and ignoring the science. They’re still handing out permits for new NOx emissions to power plants and cement kilns even while they are charged with creating a plan to reduce them.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Who: Region 6 Administrator is Richard Greene, former mayor of Arlington, appointed by President Bush.

What: Final approval of TCEQ’s SIP.

When: Goal is approval by the end of the year,so implementation can begin in 2007.

Greene opposed Congressman “Smokey Joe” Barton in his attempts to keep Ellis Co. and the cement plants out of DFW’s non-attainment area and free of further pollution controls.

Our Job:

1. Make sure the local Steering Committee votes for an equitable and successful clean air plan.

From now until they vote, we must make sure local leaders know there is a constituency for clean air.

2. Make sure the TCEQ doesn’t water it down.

Industry will be applying pressure

to TCEQ and Governor Perry. We must counter with

grassroots pressure of our own in this

election year.

Downwinders At Risk is sponsoring the

Citizens’ Clean Air Network to help citizens mount an aggressive campaign to get a good S.I.P.

It’s members include the Dallas and Ft. Worth Sierra Clubs, Arlington Conservation Council, Interfaith Environmental Action, Blue Skies Alliance and Public Citizen/Texas.

DFWAIRPLAN.ORG

We’ve established a specific website to track the progress of the DFW S.I.P. process:

It has a calendar of meetings and events, flyers you can download and a bulletin board to keep you up to date about what’s going on with the fight for clean air.

What we need from you is:-Participation in our e-mail alert network

-Getting the word out, invitations to speak, Interest, endorsement and participation in the network by your group, church, synagogue, or mosque.

-Targeted lobbying of local and state officials