North Carolina's Clean Air Efforts

North Carolina's Clean Air Efforts

Few states in America are doing more to address air quality issues than North Carolina. Under Governor Jim Hunt's leadership, we are working on a number of initiatives to clean our air. Here are some examples:

In July 1999, the General Assembly approved legislation enacting a major portion of Gov. Hunt's Clean Air Plan for protecting public health, the environment and jobs. The legislation is aimed at reducing car and truck emissions, a major contributor to ozone smog. It will require the use of low-sulfur gasoline statewide by January 2004, and expand the motor vehicle emissions testing program from 9 counties now to 48 counties by July 2006.

In May 1999, the Division of Air Quality expanded its Air Awareness/ Ozone Action Program to a five-county region surrounding Asheville. The mountain area's "Clean Air Campaign" is the fourth regional participant in this voluntary initiative for reducing ozone. Similar programs operate in the Charlotte, Triangle and Triad metropolitan areas. Through ozone forecasts and other activities, the program educates and informs the public about air pollution, its causes and effects, and things people can do to help reduce it.

In April 1999, Governor Hunt hosted a multi-state summit focusing on air quality in the Southern Appalachians. The summit was aimed at building long-term regional cooperation and support for solutions to ozone pollution, haze, acid rain, and other air quality problems in the mountains.

In April 1999, North Carolina and Tennessee signed an agreement with federal land managers to ensure that new industrial emissions do not degrade air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains and other pristine natural areas. The pact establishes formal procedures for reviewing permit applications for new or expanded utilities and other large industries. North Carolina is strongly encouraging other Southeastern states to enter into similar agreements.

In March 1999, North Carolina began enforcing one of the nation's first comprehensive programs for controlling odors from animal operations. The state Environmental Management Commission adopted temporary odor-control rules in February and is now developing permanent rules.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently adopted significantly tougher permit review procedures for new facilities, and is imposing stiffer fines on violators. DENR is also committed to continuously improving its public review and involvement, compliance and management processes.

North Carolina has assumed the leading role in the Southern Appalachian Mountains Initiative (SAMI), a regional study of the causes and solutions to air quality problems. Bill Holman, the DENR assistant secretary for environmental protection, serves as chairman of this eight-state group.

North Carolina recently headed off efforts to weaken its air toxics rules, which are designed to protect public health and are more stringent than rules in many other states.

The state Division of Air Quality is working aggressively to develop a long-range, statewide plan for meeting the stricter new federal standards for ground-level ozone and fine particulates (dust). North Carolina is one of only a few states that has embraced the new health-based standards.

North Carolina has a much broader air quality monitoring system than most Southeastern states. We also are adding new monitoring sites (including a site in Cherokee) so we may have an even better understanding of our state's air quality.

We have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require the sale of cleaner, low-sulfur gasoline nationwide and to set cleaner emissions requirements for trucks, minivans and sports utility vehicles.

North Carolina has purchased 100 alternative fuel vehicles for the state motor pool, and is studying the impacts and consequences of changing the entire fleet to alternative fuels.

We have cleaned up significant carbon monoxide and ozone problems identified in the late 1980s in several areas of the state. Recently, the EPA removed North Carolina from the list of areas designated as not meeting standards for those pollutants.

We are expanding and improving education programs and scientific research on the effects of air pollution. For example, we are conducting an extensive study looking at the effects of nitrogen deposition from agricultural air emissions.

Governor Hunt and N. C. Department of Transportation have taken a number of actions to improve transportation planning and increase mass transit opportunities, including the Governor's Transit 2001 proposal. Gov. Hunt's budget proposal called for a substantial increase in funding for rail and mass transit, which was approved by the General Assembly.

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