Non attainment areas
North Texas could be sanctioned by the EPA as early as this time next year for failure to comply with non-attainment level goals.
What is “non-attainment”? As part of the Clean Air Act, the EPA set up National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment to ensure safe, breathable air. So any area whose air pollution levels do not meet and persistently exceed the standard set by the EPA for safe air is considered a Non-Attainment Area.
Nine counties in North Texas: Denton, Collin, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, Johnson, and Ellis, are in non-attainment pollution levels for ozone.
What is ozone? Ozone is a gas made of three oxygen atoms: O3. “Good Ozone” occurs naturally in a layer 10-30 miles above the earth’s surface which protects us from the sun’s harmful UV rays. This ozone is critical to protecting human health; however, not all ozone is created equal. “Bad Ozone” is formed when Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents combine with heat and sunlight. This kind of ozone, commonly called Smog, does not occur naturally and settles at ground level.
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)
+ volatile organic compounds (VOC)
+ sunlight and heat
= ground level ozone.
So… What’s the big deal?
First, let’s just talk about some of the health issues cause by high levels of ground-level ozone pollution. Ozone is a very volatile and reactive chemical, which when inhaled, can irritate and inflame airways causing shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness/pain. For a healthy person, these symptoms can be a bit of a nuisance and somewhat troubling. High ozone levels will probably inhibit exercise and increase fatigue. However, for someone with asthma, emphysema, or other lung conditions, adding this extra stress on the respiratory system can be very dangerous, even life threatening. Additionally, though ozone pollution has not been proven to cause asthma, higher asthma rates are often associated with high levels of ozone.
Besides the negative impacts ozone has on health, failure to comply with regulation also has negative impacts on the economy and your small business. First, additional pollution impacts the productivity of the population by increasing illness and fatigue. Sick people frequently miss work and people who are fighting fatigue take breaks more often and are less efficient at their jobs.
There are also looming negative regional impacts out there. Failure of our region to comply with federal regulation will result in sanctions that could have extensive consequences. The EPA could place limitations on industry and construction projects or restrict the number of cars allowed on the road. Non-compliance could even result in the loss of federal transportation funds for local governments, which could have drastic effects on city budgets across North Texas. Our area could be sanctioned as early as this time next year.
Over 40% of the NOx and VOC (ozone precursors) emissions are from on-road, mobile sources, i.e. cars, trucks, and other vehicles. That means we’re all causing this problem! But that also means we can all do something to help. More or less, we all have to commute. This is a part of life for the majority of North Texans. Here are some solutions:
1) Explore car pooling and van pooling options. DART (http://www.dart.org/about/rideshare.asp) in Dallas and The T (http://www.the-t.com/CommuterRails/VanpoolFAQ/tabid/83/Default.aspx) in Fort Worth have services to help safely connect you with people to ride share with.
2) Check out mass transit in your area. DART and The-T are the major mass transit providers in the area, so check them out and see if these services meet your needs.
3) Also, be smart about errands and try to “trip chain” - try to minimize business and personal mileage by pre-planning your errands and trip chain. Instead of taking four or five individual trips to different stores, do all your errands in one trip.
4) Talk to your employer about telecommuting. If it’s possible to do your job from home one day a week, you could reduce your contribution to the area’s emissions AND save some money on gas.
Unfortunately, there are limited opportunities for change other than what I’ve already mentioned because we can’t all quit our jobs or move closer to where we work. But we can change how much we drive outside of our commute. Or choose to ride your bike or walk the next time you head to the corner store instead of jumping in your car.
For more information and ideas check out the North Texas Clean Air Coalition website. http://www.workingforcleanair.org/CommuterProgramsBenefits/tabid/64/Default.aspx
