Federal Clean Air Standards Essay Research Paper

Federal Clean Air Standards Essay, Research Paper

Federal Clean Air Standards Should Be Strengthened For

Title: Federal clean air standardsAcademic Level: CollegeContent: beef up air quality or we will dieDescription: debate prep

Federal Clean Air Standards Should Be StrengthenedFor Californians, not a day goes by without hearing some remark referring to smog or the quality of the air they breathe. One becomes accustom to shrugging such remarks off without a second thought after a while. Sure the air is getting cleaner, manufactures and people alike seem to be doing all they can do to clean up the air they breathe. Clean air folks are starting to be labeled as reactionaries. As with every organized group there are those among them that deserve such labels, but when it comes down to the air which people have to breathe every day, extra emphasis is a good thing. Federal and local regulations along with public support are responsible for substantial gains in air quality in the last ten years. Air quality in Southern California continues to improve, with 1995 registering some of the lowest levels in decades. Yet Southern California still experiences the worst air quality in the nation requiring continued diligence to meet air quality standards (!p.1 Executive Summary, 1997 AQMP). These improvements provide the grounds for continuing the battle for air quality instead of grounds for a pat on the back and job well done. Federal clean air standards should be strengthened. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with an arsenal of reputable agencies have drafted a plan known as the 1997 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) in which detailed summaries regarding current and future air quality measures are brought forward for critics and supporters alike to discern. It is in this plan along with supporting facts regarding beneficial economic gains and support from the medical community that make the case for continuous and stricter air quality standards. The 1997 AQMP sets fourth the guidelines in which the Federal government should set standards for state and local governments along with private agencies to impose and enforce. The focus of the plan comes as a result of new understanding regarding pollutants known as ozone and PM10. This new information flows from countless scientific studies. For example, Use of the most current air quality information (1995), including special particulate matter data from the PM10 Technical Enhancement Program (PTEP) (p.2 Executive Summary 1997 AQMP). There findings show direct links in ozone and the PM10 pollutants. In chapter three of the plan one can find the scientific data based on base year emission levels dating back to 1987 as they relate to current and future emission levels. Data clearly show s improvement in Southern California s quality of air in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997. The data also provides needed understanding of the major contributors to smog and !other ozone depleting pollutants. Overall, total mobile source emissions account for 61 percent of the VOC and 88 percent of the Nox emissions for these two pollutants (Chapt. 3, 1997 AQMP). The knowledge of this information has been a major factor in the control of these pollutants produced by the vehicles driven by millions everyday weather on the job or just tooling around town with the top down. While the information in this plan requires a good deal of scientific knowledge to understand the general message is clear. Populations are increasing which increases the demands placed on the environment. Without continual improvement regarding air quality there will be massive amounts of ozone depleting emissions created and unchecked in the environment. This plan should be imposed by the Federal government. It provides the method for promising futures not only for the environment but the economy as well. Along with the benefits in improved air quality that will result form the implementation of the 1997 AQMP substantial gains in technology will be achieved in the areas of zero emission vehicles and the development of alternative fuels. On-road motor vehicles which include passenger cars, light duty trucks, medium duty vehicles, heavy duty vehicles, and motorcycles, currently number approximately 10 million in the South Coast Air Basin (Chapt.3 1997 AQMP). If this seems an alarming number of vehicles of which contribute 61 percent of the VOC and 88 percent of the Nox emissions in the air; you better sit down. In 1995 these vehicles traveled more than 300 million miles per day, and by the year 2010, vehicle miles traveled is projected to be about 380 million miles per day (Chapt.3, 1997 AQMP). This is an alarming number of vehicles along with an alarming number of miles to boot. The implementation of the 1997 plan will require the sale of zero-emission vehicles beginn!ing in 2003. This demand places immense pressure on the automotive industry to come up with suitable alternatives for the combustion engine. The technology gains from this industrial effort have already begun to show themselves at car shows throughout the country. All manufactures will benefit from this new technology, from those who produce the batteries that run them to manufacturers of the lightweight materials needed to produce such automobiles. The public reaps immediate gains from this technology such as the cell phone s carried by thousands of people every day in Southern California. Some o