I'm working on a lengthy ozone blog in regard to the potential
lowering of the 8 hour ozone standard by the EPA from 75 ppb. to 55 ppb. which
will send nearly 100% of our cities (small and large) and many National Parks
into "non-attainment" status. As some of you know, I sit on the AACOG
(Alamo Area Council of Governments) Air Advisory Committee, and as such, I get
to review air quality models and discuss these important issues. By July, AACOG
hopes to complete many new model runs that will be very informative, including
one that shows how much ozone readings would be reduced on a high ozone day, if
everyone in Bexar County turned off their electricity, didn't drive, or go to
work.
This graphic is from a recent model run from a high ozone
episode in June of 2006 in the Victoria, TX area. This model includes emissions
from 7 counties and as you can see on the graphic, only on two days, did ozone
from the emissions go over 10 ppb. The rest of the ozone was produced by
"Other Sources". Even so, if the EPA gets their way, Victoria would
go into "non-attainment". BTW, Victoria only has a population of
65,000 people.
I am a proponent for changing the entire system and
rewarding cities for lowering their emissions, regardless of what the ozone
readings are, since ozone is primarily controlled by weather, which is uncontrollable.
As it stands now, southern states are greatly penalized for being in areas that
have more warm and sunny days than those in the higher latitudes.
