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Tacoma exceeding air quality standards

By John Larson

Tacoma Weekly
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: August 21, 2008

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to designate the Tacoma area as the only place in the state where concentrations of airborne soot exceed federal air quality standards.

On Aug. 19 EPA announced its intended designations for areas around the nation that are in violation of the standards. The Tacoma area is the only place in the state to earn the dubious honor.

Agency officials are concerned about fine particles, which can lodge deep within the lungs. This form of pollution can cause serious health problems, such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

Particles are measured in micrograms per cubic meter. In September 2006 EPA strengthened the fine particle standards to protect public health, tightening the 24-hour standard from 65 to 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

The Tacoma area has been scrutinized in the past few years by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, a regional regulatory body, as well as the state Department of Ecology. Concerns were raised when a monitoring station installed in South Tacoma began showing particulate concentrations that exceeded the limit.

The EPA’s proposal is based on a December 2007 recommendation from Ecology. Federal officials have also voiced agreement with a non-attainment zone recommended by state officials. This area includes all of Tacoma except for Northeast and Point Defiance. Ruston, Fircrest, Fife, Edgewood and other cities and unincorporated areas all the way out to Frederickson are included.

Mahbubul Islam, a regional manager for air quality in EPA’s Seattle office, noted there will be a 30-day period in which the public can submit written comments. That time frame is expected to start in September. He does not expect EPA to hold any public hearings.

“This is to help us understand the proposal better, or to receive any new information that would cause us to modify the proposal or change the proposal in any way,” he said.

He noted that EPA has had much interaction with Ecology and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, and has an obligation to determine if local areas are in violation of federal standards such as the Clean Air Act.

Wood stoves have been fingered as a prime suspect in the Tacoma area’s poor air quality in the past. Judging from data gathered so far, “there are significant contributions coming from organic compounds,” he said, which would suggest woodstoves. The numbers get highest in the winter, when the air is most stagnant and people are most likely to heat their homes. Some homes in Tacoma are old and may not be fitted with the best fireplaces, Islam noted. The city has other possible sources, such as heavy traffic along Interstate 5 and residential streets. “Tacoma is obviously one of the larger cities in Washington,” Islam observed.

Other potential culprits are shipping and industrial activities.

Ecology and the local body both consider wood stoves a major source, Islam said. “They do think wood stoves contribute significantly to the problem.”

EPA plans to issue its final designations by Dec. 18.

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