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Experts:
Inland Air is Cleaner, but More Needed
(UCR Journalism students covered the seminar and here is one student’s story)
By Daniel Guy, Journalism Student, University of California, Riverside
“We in the Inland Empire are going to have to assume more responsibility
for our pollution problem,” said Dr. James Lents at the UC Riverside-hosted Randall Lewis
Seminar on Inland Empire Air Quality.
Lents, the former head of the South Coast Air Quality Management District,
introduced the crowd of around 60 to his concern that air quality improvements since the 1980s
may be difficult to maintain under current air quality regulations.
Dr. Barry Wallerstein, the current head of the AQMD, echoed his predecessor.
“The take home message,” said Wallerstein, “is that we have made tremendous, tremendous progress,”
but that we still have a long way to left to go.
Lents identified truck and rail transportation as well as commercial and
industrial emissions as the prime factors in rising pollution. The two major forms of pollution
he listed were ozone and particulate matter, tiny particles made up of dust and engine emissions.
His predicted four-fold increase in transportation activity over the next several
years motivated the discussion of the risk to Inland Empire residents of rising ozone and particulate
levels.
Lents also said California’s ability to regulate commercial transportation is
limited. Trucks and trains are engaged in interstate commerce and thus come under federal regulation.
Trucks from Mexico are under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ships using Southern California
ports, or planes flying internationally are not subject to state or local authority.
Lents indicated that ozone and particulate matter are the most dangerous forms of
air pollution at the moment, further stating that there are no safe levels of extended ozone exposure.
Particulate pollution is a relatively new standard, which has began being measured
in 1999. This type of pollution is produced mainly by reactions of atmospheric gases with combustion
by-products to form microscopic air-borne particles. These particles easily make it past the body’s
limited air-filtering systems and enter the lungs.
Wallerstein said that particulate pollution leaves lasting damage on respiratory
systems, especially those of young children.
Both Lents and Wallerstein agreed that reducing levels of ozone and particulate
matter will take substantial public and private effort.
Wallerstein said a 50-percent or greater reduction in emissions for the region is
needed meet federal eight-hour ozone and particulate standards by 2022. Lents differed somewhat,
arguing that the ozone standard could be met by 2015, but that he couldn’t envision federal particulate
standards being met until after 2025.
Land use decision makers and community planners need influence and education to make
better decisions for rapidly expanding areas like the Inland Empire Wallerstein explained.
He went on to say that the AQMD has three bills on railroad emission controls going
through the state legislature at the moment. These bills, Wallerstein explained, will help bring rail
emissions standards up to the level of several European countries.
On a more personal level, Lents seemed to favor Partial Zero Emission Vehicles, the
next generation of cleaner cars, as a significant means of decreasing consumer-created pollution in an
area with a rapidly growing population.
Coupled with a legislated reclamation of old, dirty engines, Wallerstein agreed that
advances in environmental protection technology and the newer, cleaner vehicles could help seriously
reduce consumer emissions, but that railroads and truck ports still need new controls.
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The pace of commercial growth,
especially in Inland Southern California, is
threatening to slow progress toward cleaner air,
experts told almost 70 people who attended the first
in the Randall Lewis Seminar Series at UC,
Riverside.
Particulate emissions are
emerging as the major challenge. Particles are a
significant health risk, especially for children,
Wallerstein noted, and studies indicate that
children raised in Southern California do not regain
lung capacity even after they move away. While
pollution from individual passenger cars has been
significantly reduced, emissions from diesel engines
in trucks, trains, ships, construction equipment and
other heavy applications is only beginning to be
curbed. And such emissions contribute heavily to the
presence of particulates.
A lively audience of elected officials, business
people, city and county staff, environmentalists,
members of community groups and those who simply
want to explore topics which will affect the future
of their communities is anticipated. The seminars
will be free of charge.
Please invite any friends or colleagues you think
might be interested.