Ehlers: County’s redesignation good for residents’ health, local economy

GRAND RAPIDS – Residents of Kent County and 10 other Michigan counties no longer face the cost of having the emissions of their vehicles tested or having stringent controls placed on local industries thanks to a reclassification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers said.

      EPA officials announced Monday that they are seeking to reclassify Kent County as being in “attainment” of the national ambient air quality standard for outdoor ozone, a major component of smog. Other Michigan counties affected by the redesignation are Benzie, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Huron, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Mason, Ottawa and VanBuren.

      “This is wonderful news for Kent County and all the other counties involved, both for the health of our citizens and for our local economies” said Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids. “It appears that all the work – in our area and across Lake Michigan – to reduce air pollution has been more successful than we or the EPA ever anticipated.”

      Ehlers said that the announcement means that the affected counties are no longer in danger of having the federal government require emissions testing for private vehicles or impose new rules on local industries that would have stifled job creation.

      EPA officials said the announcement is based on three years of complete, quality-assured, outdoor air monitoring data from 2003, 2004 and 2005. Available data for 2006 continue to show that the counties are attaining the health-based eight-hour outdoor air standard for ozone, they added.

      Ground-level ozone is a major component of air pollution, commonly referred to as smog. Smog is formed when a mixture of pollutants react on warm, sunny days. The pollutants are released from cars, factories and a wide variety of other sources. Smog can cause respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain.

      EPA’s action will soon be officially proposed in the Federal Register. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed action after it is published. Comments may be entered at www.regulations.gov. Refer to docket ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-2006-0517 and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Comments may also be sent by e-mail to mooney.john@epa.gov, or faxed to (312) 886-5824. For additional information, contact Kathleen D’Agostino at (312) 886-1767.