Public Meetings Will Discuss Air Pollution Areas in Scott and Muscatine Counties

The Department of Natural Resources Air Quality Bureau will hold a public meeting April 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Scott County Administrative Center’s Board Room; and another April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Muscatine County Conservation Board’s Environmental Learning Center on proposed nonattainment areas in eastern Iowa. The purpose of the meetings is to provide more information on proposed nonattainment areas and seek input from the public, businesses and other affected stakeholders.

On December 17, 2006 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered its 24-hour ambient air quality health standard for fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller (PM2.5) from 65 to 35 micrometers per cubic meter of air. Monitoring data from 2007 indicates that one monitor in Davenport averaged ambient air at 37 and one monitor in Muscatine County averaged 36.

Although fine particulate matter pollution has experienced slight variations (both up and down) at the monitored sites since 2000, the area is now above the health standard because EPA has lowered its standard due to recent scientific studies that indicate people’s health is impacted at lower levels than previously believed.

Because the monitors measure ambient air quality and not specific sources of fine particulate matter pollution, the EPA has directed the DNR to make nonattainment area boundary recommendations that will focus the DNR’s effort in planning to bring the affected areas back into attainment by 2012. Sources of PM2.5 include industrial combustion, vehicle exhaust and wood burning.

Please contact Jim McGraw at (515) 242-5167 jim.mcgraw@dnr.iowa.gov or Matthew Johnson at (515) 242-5164 matthew.johnson@dnr.iowa.gov with questions about the meeting. More information about the monitoring data is available on the DNR website at www.iowacleanair.com/prof/monitor/monitor.html.