$3.49 MILLION WILL REDUCE DIESEL POLLUTION AND CREATE JOBS IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA
EPA announced that Allegheny County, Pa. will receive $3.49 million in Recovery Act funding to help the Pittsburgh area reduce diesel pollution, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and create jobs. The funds to the Allegheny County Health Department (http://www.achd.net/) will finance four projects to replace and retrofit engines and equipment in four types of diesel fleets used in the area.
• Port Authority Transit: $1 million to replace two 1996 buses with 2010 hybrid electric buses and repower nine 2003 buses with engines that meet current emission standards.
• Constructors Association of Western Pa.: $929,000 to upgrade 23 pieces of non-road construction equipment so they pollute less.
• US Steel Mon Valley Works: Diamond Head Trucking and MultiServ Corp.: $603,000 to install diesel particulate filters on 35 dump trucks operating in and around U.S. Steel Corp.'s Clairton Coke Works.
• CSX Transportation: $875,000 to replace a vintage diesel switcher locomotive in the McKeesport rail yard with one that has the latest in pollution-control technology.
For information about EPA's clean diesel initiatives, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.
EPA IS PROPOSING TO REVISE ITS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR NITROGEN DIOXIDE
EPA is proposing to strengthen the nation's nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
standards. The proposed revisions would retain the current annual standard of 53
ppb., reflecting the latest health effects of exposure to NO2 and establish a
one-hour NO2 standard at a level between 80 and 100 parts per billion
(ppb). NO2 is formed by emissions from cars, trucks, buses, power plants, and
industrial facilities, contributes to smoggy, unhealthy air from ozone
pollution and to acid rain and particulate pollution. Two hearings took place,
one on August 3, in Arlington, Va. and one on August 6 in Los Angeles, Ca.
EPA will accept written comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 14 and
faces a Jan. 22 judicial consent decree deadline to have the NO2 standard in
place. For more detailed information on the proposed rule and instructions
for submitting written comments, go to
_http://www.epa.gov/air/nitrogenoxides/actions.html_ (http://www.epa.gov/air/nitrogenoxides/actions.html)
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NOTE: In addition to direct contributions to our local ozone and acid
rain, the nitrogen oxides are
interacting with other chemical species to form smog and very fine
particulate matter...... this
region is in or near "non-attainment" status for very fine particulate
matter, i.e. PM-2.5.
D.G.N.