NOACA Governing Board Approves Recommendations to Improve Air Quality in Northeast Ohio

Northeast Ohio is now a step closer to meeting federal air quality standards. At its December 14 meeting, the Governing Board of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) approved a series of recommended strategies for reducing the amount of fine particles in the air. The recommendations will be sent to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to consider for inclusion in the Fine Particle (PM2.5) State Implementation Plan (SIP) that must be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2008.

The recommendations include such strategies as retrofitting diesel engines, reducing engine idling, truck stop electrification, and alternative fuels and electric vehicles for public and private fleets. The complete recommendations are available in PDF format.

“Seven counties in Northeast Ohio are currently not in compliance with federal air quality standards for fine particle pollution,” says Howard R. Maier, NOACA executive director. “We need to correct that situation by 2010, or we could face dire health and economic consequences.”

In addition to the public health risks, if the region does not attain federal air pollution standards by 2010, the United States Environmental Protection Agency could impose sanctions. These include restrictions on businesses planning to locate or expand and the loss of federal highway funds for capacity-adding projects.

“NOACA’s recommendations include measures that can be implemented in Northeast Ohio as well as throughout the state,” says Amy Wainright, an environmental planner and attorney at NOACA. “So even if other regions choose to adopt different measures, Northeast Ohio will be doing its part to clean up the air.”

In other action, the Board voted to add 11 new projects to the transportation plan and State Fiscal Years 2008 – 2011 Transportation Improvement Program (the comprehensive, four-year listing of federal-aid highway, transit and bikeway projects scheduled for implementation in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties). Details about these projects are posted on the NOACA Web site.