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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 5, 2000
00-059
CONTACTS: Larry Altose, public information, Washington Department of Ecology, 425-649-7192
Eric Skelton, Director, Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority, 509-477-4727, ext. 121
Media Advisory
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon formally notify the state of Washington that it is overdue with a plan to show that Spokane will attain a federal standard for air quality by the end of the year.
Spokane was classified as a "serious nonattainment area" for carbon monoxide air pollution, when air quality did not meet the federal standard by the end of 1995. EPA's action will start an 18-month "countdown" which could lead to federal sanctions, if the plan is not completed within that timeframe. Sanctions include the withholding of federal highway funds and restricting construction of major new industrial facilities.
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), in cooperation with the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority (SCAPCA) and the Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC), expect to submit this plan to EPA in about six months. As a result, it is unlikely that EPA will have to impose sanctions, because the agencies are making good progress on completing the plan. The agencies recognize EPA's obligation to notify states regarding federal Clean Air Act requirements.
The plan was not completed by an October, 1999 deadline because of complex technical problems encountered in demonstrating that Spokane will attain the federal standard by the end of this year. The agencies have since developed solutions and plan to circulate a draft plan for public comment by mid-summer.
While it is difficult to predict when Spokane's carbon monoxide "nonattainment" status will be removed, the agencies believe that the designation ultimately will be lifted. Meanwhile, Spokane has met the health-based outdoor air quality standard for carbon monoxide four winters a row. This means the public already benefits from improved air quality.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and poisonous gas. It interferes with the blood's ability to absorb oxygen, and can starve the body for oxygen. Spokane’s historical problem with carbon monoxide was due primarily to motor vehicle emissions. A combination of vehicle emissions inspections plus technical improvements to engines, fuels, and traffic patterns, has caused a dramatic improvement in Spokane’s air quality.
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