Region may revive air-quality panel

Hamilton County including three other places that could not meet the standards of federal air pollution may bring a regional board (which earlier investigated into ozone problems) back into action.

A standard referred to as PM2.5 means an airborne matter thinner than human hair which is harmful for the people as it can severely affect breathing and worst of all, patients of heart and lungs may even face threat to their lives.

Indiana Department of Environmental Management, in a letter declared five counties as PM2.5 non-attainment areas which included: Marion, Lake, Vanderburgh, Tippecanoe and Knox.

In response, in an agency letter, EPA Regional Administrator Lynn Buhl said that the agency has decided to add 14 other countries in the list namely- Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson and Morgan counties.

The 24-hour limit for PM2.5 pollution in 2006 was changed from 65 to 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

In 2005, the regional board- the Central Indiana Air Quality Advisory Group looked into the ways to cut down on the ozone levels. Its member Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman said, “It just points to the need for Central Indiana to get mass transit alternatives, because 60 percent of emissions are mobile sources, which means vehicles.”

He emphasized that driving results in production of high levels of soot and to meet the standards set by the federal air pollution/ air-quality board, plans should be formed that reduce driving.

“Probably what will happen is we’ll reinstitute some meetings with the air quality board,” he added.

Earlier the board worked in a way that it encouraged the countries to comply with ozone standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

According to EPA, 19 Indiana counties do not confirm with the new soot restrictions and it was no surprise.

Autos and power plants are the major sources that emit ozone and microscopic particles. Altman acknowledged that Federal restrictions on power plant emissions greatly reduced the ozone level in air, but new standard of controlling the amount of fine-particle is another challenge at hand.

However, IDEM spokesman Rob Elstrow said in the ‘final designations list’ to be prepared after the deadline of December, the EPA may cut out few countries from the present list.

Countries that come in the final list would certainly have to introduce and put in practical use such plans that help in dropping down the PM2.5 pollution levels.