EPA upholds non-attainment area designation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Monday (12/22) designated most of Scott, Rock Island and Muscatine counties as "non-attainment" areas for fine particulate pollution, rejecting last ditch efforts by local industry lobbyists to avoid the broad designation.

EPA narrowed its "non-attainment" area somewhat, but far less than sought by Quad City Development Group lobbyists and an ad hoc task force funded by several local governments and companies facing emission clean up requirements under the designation.

The EPA's initial designation included all of Scott, Muscatine and Rock Island Counties. In its final designations the non-attainment area includes most of those three counties, but excludes mainly outlying rural areas.

Opponents of the EPA PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers) designation had argued only two very small areas, near Black Hawk Foundry in Davenport and Grain Processing Corp. in Muscatine, be targeted. The industry group also felt the Illinois Quad Cities should not be part of the designation.

Nearly $100,000 in public and private dollars were spent on lobbying and "sponsored research" in an effort to convince the EPA to narrow the "non-attainment" for fine particulate pollution.

The taxpayer money from the cities of Bettendorf, Davenport and Muscatine, Scott County and the Iowa Department of Economic Development was used to fund a study by two University of Iowa researchers. Private funders of the $40,000 study included Alcoa, Black Hawk Foundry, Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine Power and Water and IPSCO Steel.

Another $51,000 was paid by the Quad City Development Group to the Clark Group, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm which specializes in air quality issues.

The non-attainment designation will mean the state of Iowa and Illinois must begin the long-term process to reduce PM 2.5 in the bi-state area.

PM 2.5 emissions are harmful to all residents, but especially the very young and elderly, susceptible to the development of asthma and serious lung ailments.

The EPA has been attempting to control and reduce fine particulate matter in the United States for more than 10 years. Industry groups sidetracked the particulate regulations in federal court, claiming the EPA did not have the jurisdiction. The issue eventually came before the U.S. Supreme Court, which sided with the EPA.

Now the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources and Illinois EPA must development state implementation plans to reduce PM 2.5 emission levels within the non-attainment areas.

The top 10 industrial emitters of PM 2.5 in Scott and Muscatine counties include: Muscatine Power and Water (generating stations), Alcoa, Grain Processing Corp., IPSCO Steel, Lafarge (Davenport Cement), MidAmerican Energy (Riverside Generating Station), Sivyer Steel, Linwood Mining & Minerals Corp., Nichols Aluminum and Central Iowa Power (Fair Generating Station).

With the new designation, non-attainment areas also must implement "transportation conformity" which requires local transportation and air quality officials to coordinate planning to ensure transportation-related emissions from projects, such as road construction, do not interfere with the area's ability to reach its air clean up goals.

It also means a "New Source Review" process on industrial facilities in the non-attainment area to ensure new and modified emissions do not increase pollution levels.