Political will needed to clean air

By Rose Hooper

N.C. Sen. Dan Robinson, right, listens to a participant at Friday's Senate Select Committee on Mountain Air Quality. Robinson chairs that committee along with Sens. Charles Carter and Charlie Albertson. Experts who testified Friday stressed that although polluted air is not limited to North Carolina, this state must be a leader in cleaning up the air. - Herald photo by Rose Hooper

- WNC is the epicenter of deaths from air pollution;

- Out of 200 cities surveyed across the United States, Asheville ranks number six in chances of dying from air pollution;

- WNC has the highest ozone levels in the United States, ranking with Los Angeles;

- The same towering majestic Smoky Mountain range that attracts tourists traps a hovering haze of bad air;

- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited park, is also the most polluted. From April to October last year, monitoring sites recorded 35 unhealthy ozone days.

While experts agree that North Carolina must first tackle its own air quality issues, they also agree dirty air doesn't stop at the state line.

That's why the committee began the conference's presentations with two experts from the Environmental Protection Agency: Dr. William Mc-Donnell, research medical officer; and John Bachman, associate director of science policy and new programs.

McDonnell's presentation focused on adverse health events that occur on days when ozone levels are high. Among those are respiratory complaints, decreased lung function, decreased physical performance, asthma attacks, ER visits and hospital admissions. Children breath in more pollutants per pound than adults and are therefore at greater risk, said McDonnell, who noted the long-term effects of ozone exposure to cells, tissues and lung structure.

"Even though these are tiny pollutants, they can cause great health problems," said Bauchmann, "and we don't even know the long-haul effects."

"Air pollution is our No. 1 problem in Western North Carolina," said presenter Hugh Morton, owner of Grandfather Mountain. "For years I talked about how it is killing our trees and environment on the higher elevations. But you can show all the dead trees you want; it's the human health concern that will bring about changes."

Now you can't even count the number of dead trees, Morton said, because you can't see them for the pollution. Visibility in the Smokies has decreased from 90 miles to less than 6 miles.

That pollution comes not only from ozone, but from acid deposition and from the burning of fossil fuels. North Carolina has been a leader in the eight-state Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative to identify sources of pollution.

Conference participants Friday agreed they know what the problem is and what the solution is for clean air. The question is, "Do we have the political will to do something about it?"

"I believe we do," Sen. Robinson said.

Back to Archive: 01/25/01.