Document text
Click Here 41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 23, 2003 An air quality advisory board believes the Rogue Valley could add more industry and still stay within federal guidelines for air quality. But some worry that more pollution in the valley could impact residents� health and keep people from locating here. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Clear the air Business-friendly proposal leaves some opponents fuming Stories by DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A proposal to eliminate an emission regulation that blocks industrial growth has ignited debate over whether this could worsen air pollution in Jackson County. "The air is going to get worse," said Robert Palzer of the Medford-Ashland Air Quality Advisory Board. "It is going to get dramatically worse." Board Chairman Mike Montero disputed this claim, adding that despite some perceptions to the contrary, both industry and community members are committed to maintaining good air quality in the county. "We are not going back to the way it was," said Montero, whose 24-member committee comprises city leaders, industry representatives, forestry and county officials and environmentalists. At issue is a proposal, approved recently by a majority of the committee, to eliminate a stringent emissions requirement on new or expanding industries that produce five tons or more of pollutants annually. Advertisement These industries must purchase so-called clean air credits from other existing industries that have installed emission devices to lessen pollution. However, business leaders and the Department of Environmental Quality say that in practice there are no credits available, making it impossible for industries to locate in Jackson County and create more jobs. The proposal, which ultimately will require federal Environmental Protection Agency approval, still requires new industries to install state-of-the-art pollution equipment. Fueling debate over the issue is the concern among some advisory committee members and the community that the proposal was developed without sufficient public comment. Jacksonville resident Cond� Cox has blasted the committee’s recommendation because he said it was developed before public hearings were held to discuss the issue. "Of course, this makes the current public hearing process in reality a sham," he stated in an e-mail to the EPA. He criticized another part of the proposal that would allow pollution levels to rise to within 95 percent of federal standards, rather than striving to keep them at current low levels. According to DEQ models, pollution levels are roughly 40 to 50 percent lower than the federal standards in a worst-case scenario. Cox also said industry representatives shouldn’t have been allowed to vote on the proposal because they have a vested interest in getting rid of the requirement. Gary Grimes, a DEQ Advisory Committee member, disputes claims by Cox and others, saying the proposal to eliminate the air credits has been up for debate for many years. "It’s just a ploy," said Grimes, of Timber Products of Medford. "Cond� Cox is a Johnny-come-lately guy who came in at the 11th hour and turned that thing upside down." He also disputes Cox’s claim that industry representatives should not be allowed to vote on matters that could benefit them directly. "The committee includes a good cross section of folks with different interests in the valley," he said. If the clean air credit requirement is eliminated, Grimes doesn’t foresee a stampede of industry heading for Jackson County. But he does believe new industry won’t have an overly adverse effect on air quality because the valley’s current pollution levels are low compared to federal standards. "There is room there for minimal degradation," he said. IN THE 1980s, Medford, which was sometimes referred to as "Dredford," had unhealthy air that exceeded federal standards for 20 to 25 days each winter. Since then, stringent controls have been imposed on industry, outdoor burning, wood stoves and automobiles, bringing pollution levels well under federal standards. A combination of fewer timber mills and greater controls over industry has significantly reduced the amount of fine particles, measuring 10 microns in size, that contribute to various health problems. The highest concentration of these fine particles is in the industrial areas of White City and north Medford, said David Collier, air quality planner with DEQ. Collier said it would be difficult to predict impacts from new industry on pollution levels for the next 10 years. However, he thinks there are enough safeguards in place to prevent significant problems. Also, many industries are installing newer equipment that drops emissions output. For instance, Timber Products will cut its emissions from 100 tons to under 50 tons annually with newly installed filtration equipment. Long-range projections show that even in worst-case scenarios, existing industries would produce less pollution than federal standards, said Collier. Also, any new or expanding industry would be closely tracked to determine the impact on the air before a permit is granted, he said. ANOTHER DIMENSION to the debate is whether increasing pollution levels to attract jobs will make other industries like tourism disappear, or adversely affect the number of retirees who move to this area. Montero said the emission requirement has applied only to industry and not to the one of the greatest sources of these fine particles in the valley — dust kicked up by vehicles. Rather than creating more dust pollutants, new industry could actually cut pollution in the valley, he theorized. By placing that industry closer to where people live, the distance traveled by car would be reduced, along with the dust. But some argue that air quality is already a problem clearly visible to Jackson County residents on stagnant air days. "If you can’t see a vista, you can be reasonably sure you have high particulate matter in the air," said Palzer, of the Southern Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club. If the air gets worse, it could have a negative impact on the county’s economy, he said. "There are also a lot of places of employment that have located here because of air quality." Collier said, "It is an interesting choice: the tradeoffs between protecting the air quality and providing more flexibility for economic growth." Public comments The public can comment on proposed new emission rules until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31. Comments can be mailed to David Collier, Oregon DEQ Air Quality Division, 811 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204, or called in at 503-229-5177 or toll free at 800-452-4011. Comments also can be faxed to Collier at 503-229-5675 or e-mailed at [email protected]. A public workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Jackson County Courthouse, 10 S. Oakdale Ave. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the Jackson County Courthouse. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times