Sad State of Affairs

From the New York Times:

U.S. Said to Allow Drilling Without Needed Permits

WASHINGTON — The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species — and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf.

Read the rest of the article…

Beware the Air

The lead headline in today’s Seattle Times warns, “Smog crackdown could hit hard here. EPA proposes strictest-ever limits.” What this is referring to is the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to reduce permissible concentrations of ground-level ozone as measured over an 8-hour period from 75 parts per billion to 60-70 parts per billion. Ground-level ozone is the primary constituent of smog – that brown haze that settles over the region on hot, still days. It is formed by motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents as well as natural sources that emit nitric oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Smog contributes to increased respiratory diseases – especially in children – that can cause premature deaths, as well as aggravated asthma. The tighter standards mean that lower amounts of smog-forming ozone will put areas formerly in compliance with standards into noncompliance.

Elsewhere in the U.S., the major contributors to smog-forming ozone pollution are power plants and other industrial sources. This can translate into increased compliance costs to businesses that emit ozone-forming pollutants, which makes noncompliant areas unattractive to companies. Here in the Northwest, however, the largest ozone contributor is emissions from motor vehicles.

Ozone concentrations near the border of King and Pierce counties have surpassed 70 parts per billion for years, so it is a near-certainty that those counties will be noncompliant if the new standards go into effect.  Dennis McLaren, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, says the solution in our area lies in less driving, transitioning to electric vehicles or other non-gasoline fuels, and cleaner gasoline fuels.

EPA’s proposal is now subject to public comment. Go to EPA’s website for further information.

Sources: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010738336_smog08.html; http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/