State Government Column

Air Pollution Regulations Set to Expand

Turn to the weather report in your daily newspaper and you may see a new bit of information listed — a forecast on the amount of particle pollution in the air. This new measure of air quality joins the now-familiar reports on ozone and the occasional Code Red warnings we read about during the Dog Days of summer.

Particle pollution consists of microscopic amounts of dust and liquid droplets in the air which can come from a wide range of sources, including power plants and other industry, cars and trucks, wood stoves and outdoor fires. Some particles form during the burning of fuels, and others form later when pollutants react in the air. Particles can be harmful to breathe and contribute to haze and other air quality problems. Some of the highest particle levels in North Carolina were measured after the ice storm in December 2002, when many people were burning storm debris outdoors.

The N.C. Division of Air Quality (DAQ) began issuing daily particle forecasts for the Charlotte metro area in September. For the past five years the agency has issued ozone forecasts in warm-weather months for Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle, Asheville, Fayetteville and Hickory. The new reports on Charlotte particle pollution join those already offered in the Triad by the Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department. Around the nation, the EPA now issues particle forecasts for more than 100 cities nationwide.

Government officials say they’re just doing a public service by monitoring and reporting on this new category of air pollution, but there is a serious regulatory thrust behind their actions. The EPA adopted a new standard for fine particles in 1997, and — after years of testing and refining measurement methods — the enforcement hammer may fall at the end of 2004.

At public hearings last month in Charlotte, the Triad and Hickory, DAQ officials discussed the process under which areas of the state may be deemed to be in non-attainment with the federal particle pollution standard. The officials outlined how they monitor particle pollution and other factors used in determining non-attainment areas.

At those meetings, DAQ officials said Charlotte, the Triad and Hickory metro areas likely will fail the new federal particle pollution standards because monitoring in these areas has found levels exceeding the new federal standard.

The DAQ officials couldn’t say for sure what impact a non-attainment designation might mean, but hinted that it could have important implications for growth and development. For example, areas deemed to exceed federal ozone standards can be denied federal highway funds.

By next month Gov. Mike Easley must submit his recommendations for which areas of North Carolina fail to meet the federal particle pollution standard. The EPA will compile these reports from all the states and issue its national non-attainment report by year-end.

In the meantime, DAQ will begin developing plans for controlling particle pollution in non-attainment areas. These plans would include specific proposals for curbing particle-forming emissions, such as measures to reduce emissions from cars, trucks, and industries and power plants.

North Carolina has taken substantial steps to control fine particles, ozone and other air quality problems in recent years. In 2002, the legislature passed the Clean Smokestacks Act, which requires coal-fired power plants to reduce their nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by about three-fourths over the next five to 10 years. NOx and SO2 contribute to the formation of fine particles in the atmosphere. Between 1999 and 2001, the legislature passed bills that enhance and expand the auto emissions testing program from nine to 48 counties by 2006.

“The steps we’ve already taken should bring us close to complying with the fine particle standard across North Carolina,” DAQ Director Keith Overcash said. “The designation of non-attainment areas will help us focus attention on areas with the most serious particle pollution problems.” 

Workplace Fatalities Decline: The number of workers killed in on-the-job accidents in 2002 dropped to its lowest level since detailed recordkeeping began in 1992, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. The 169 workers who died in workplace accidents in 2002 compares to 203 in 2001 and 234 in 2000, a 28 percent reduction in two years.

“We believe the last two years show the single biggest improvement in the history of workplace safety in the state,” said Berry. “We’ve worked extremely hard to bring a new level of safety for the people of this state, and we’re seeing the results.”

Fatalities in the state’s robust construction industry dropped to 44 from 51 the year before. In transportation-related accidents, fatalities dropped to 76 from a high of 93 the year before. In manufacturing, fatalities stayed at 24, the same number as the year before. Of the total number of fatalities, 159 were men and 10 were women. There were 112 fatalities involving non-Hispanic whites, 28 non-Hispanic blacks and 25 Hispanics. Berry said some of the drop in fatalities can be attributed to special emphasis programs that target specific problem areas throughout the state. Berry also credited employers and employee groups for implementing safety programs that have reduced other work hazards. “We’ve emphasized from day one a willingness to work with employers to protect their workers,” she said.

Wake County’s fatalities rose last year, bucking the trend seen elsewhere, and led all counties with 19 fatalities, compared to six the year before. Mecklenburg County, which usually leads the state in workplace deaths, dropped to 15 from 18 the year before. Guilford County was third with 10 fatalities, compared to 11 the year before. — Steve Tuttle

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