|
|
|
||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
EPA ozone decision likely to impact Macon By Christopher Schwarzen The federal Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reinstate an old ozone standard could force Macon to clean its dirty air. Late Thursday, the EPA announced steps to return to its 20-year-old standard while a newer, even-stricter standard is tied up in court. State officials say there is enough data to prove Macon has failed the old standard's level for the past three years. As a result, they will be forced to send the city's name to the EPA, leaving the agency to require that Macon clean its air as Atlanta is required to do. "We think the EPA will be able to have (a new) enforceable standard by next spring," said Marlin Gottschalk, a program manager for the state Environmental Protection Division's air-protection branch. "Based on our three years of monitoring, Macon would be a nonattainment area. For the past two years, it hasn't had a standard to follow." EPA policy analyst Jenny Noonan said Friday the federal agency will wait for Georgia to submit Macon's name as having dirty air. "We haven't seen any of the (Macon) data to verify it," she said. "If we confirmed that they had dirty air, then it would be up to the EPA regional supervisor to determine what to do." That might include a state implementation plan - a set of rules designed to lower factors contributing to Macon's smog. The rules more than likely would affect not only Bibb but Houston, Jones, Peach and Twiggs counties, considered Macon's metropolitan area. Jones is already included in a controversial Atlanta pollution-reduction plan. "It would be up to the state to create the plan," Noonan said. "We would then have to approve it." Gottschalk said Friday that chances were good a plan for Macon would be stricter than Atlanta's proposed plan. "We would look at doing a lot of the same things we have for Atlanta," he said. "But by then, there would probably be newer and better ways for reducing pollution. Those things are changing every day." The plan for Atlanta's 13-county region affects a 45-county area. Macon's ozone plan area also could widen, Gottschalk said. The Atlanta plan calls for emission reductions at large factories and from mobile sources. Low-sulfur gasoline and vehicle inspection programs also could be ordered for Macon. Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce President Paul Nagle said leaders are trying to get a jump-start on the problem. "We have an ozone committee at the chamber," he said. "One of the things we're dealing with is trying to determine where the sources of pollution are coming from." Nagle said nobody knows which poses a bigger problem: industrial sites such as nearby Georgia Power plants or cars. "It's not going to be as easy as pointing the finger to one group and blaming them," he said. "It's a mix of sources, probably." Georgia Power spokesman John Sell said there is no data proving that coal-burning plants Scherer and Branch in Monroe and Putnam counties contribute to Macon's pollution. Both plants are included in the Atlanta plan. Utility officials are opposed to their inclusion in that plan. "If we are determined to be part of the problem, then we will clean up the plants," Sell said. Gottschalk admitted there is likely to be a long time until mandatory pollution-reduction measures are in effect here. The earliest Macon could be designated a dirty-air city is next summer, he said. "The EPA has said it will give us reasonable time to create a plan," he said. "We will have to develop a good, sound emissions inventory and then look at control measures." He said he hopes a Macon plan will be easier to craft than the Atlanta plan. "We've learned a lot," he said. "I think we can perhaps avoid the pitfalls we've had there."
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
||
