LAT: Curbs on Dust in West Targeted: EPA to drop rural clean-air rules

[DeepModem Mom]

Curbs on Dust in the West Targeted
The EPA wants to drop the clean-air rules for rural areas. An official with the air quality district for Owens Valley calls it 'outrageous.'

By Janet Wilson, Times Staff Writer


Bush administration officials are moving to strip significant clean-air protections from broad areas of California and other Western states, saying that rural areas should no longer have to meet federal rules for windblown clouds of dust, and that mining and farming operations also should be exempt.

The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They would become final later this year after a public comment period.

In contrast to rural areas, the proposal would toughen rules on so-called coarse particulates in urban areas, including parts of Southern California. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, dust from roads and construction sites has been a major contributor to smog. That part of the proposal has not been a subject of major controversy.

The pullback in rural areas, which drew praise from the mining industry and condemnation from air regulators and environmentalists, would particularly affect places such as the Owens Valley, which has the worst dust storms in the nation — a product of Los Angeles' draining of Owens Lake. The head of the regional air pollution control agency there called the administration's proposal "outrageous."

Although the rule would apply nationwide, its greatest impact would be in the Western states because the West has much larger rural areas and because dust is a greater concern in arid regions....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dust18jan18,0,2575406.story?coll=la-home-local

[Bridget Burke]

1. Guess all that "rural dust" never moves into urban areas.

How well behaved!

[Lorien]

4. And never makes people or wildlife sick in rural areas

:eyes:

These monsters MUST be stopped! EVERYTHING they do profits the powerful and hurts America and the rest of the planet.

[DELUSIONAL]

2. So you city folk think that country air is clean and pristine??

Think again.

In Washington State rural areas are not monitored for WOOD smoke and thus everyone tends to burn whatever will burn in their fire place. I'd say that in the winter rural Xurban areas the air is hazardous during some non windy days. And then the dust in the Midwest (like Kansas and Nebraska) -- lord some of the plains states when the wind starts blowing you'd swear that the dust bowl of the depression area is happening again.

How many people will die as a result of this unfriendly move by the bushies? Who knows-- the bushies don't keep score of their battle dead.

[rodeodance]

3. the epa works for BushCo--rather than for the people.

The pullback in rural areas, which drew praise from the mining industry and condemnation from air regulators and environmentalists, would particularly affect places such as the Owens Valley, which has the worst dust storms in the nation — a product of Los Angeles' draining of Owens Lake. The head of the regional air pollution control agency there called the administration's proposal "outrageous."

[pinniped]

5. The EPA needs to be purged of all the * assholes after a 'real'...

president takes over.

They're sure not protecting the environment, what a disgrace.

[WhiteTara]

6. while driving through the San Joquain Valley

on hiway 99 a few years ago, we were enveloped in a cloud of dust. It came on us so quickly that we didn't have time to judge the area landscape and for several terrifying minutes were plunged into a dust cloud traveling 65 mph on a rather crowded hiway. The question was slow down and be rear ended or continue at the same speed and have no idea where the road goes. It was horrible. Needless to say I lived, but I will never forget the experience. Now that scene will become more frequent. I guess we're due for another 100 car pileup.
:scared:

[doodadem]

8. The San Joquain Valley has some of the worst air

in the nation. I believe it does hold the record for numbers of people with asthma. We are somewhat above it up here in the mountains, but the giant Redwoods in the Parks (Seqouia and King's Canyon) are starting to exhibit pollution stress. What pisses me off to no end, is the local powers that be keep trying to blame it on fireplaces, while completely ignoring situations like you've described, which are caused by the giant industrial farms (which totally buy local politicians). Not only that, the ground water is being contaminated by the corporate dairy farms's "lagoons" of manure and runoff.

We have someone from the Valley Air District coming to our little mountain community this week, presumably to bitch about people like us that heat solely with wood. My fireplace insert has an
80%+ efficiency rating--I'm sure much better than anything PG&E can come up with. It cannot begin to compare with the huge dust clouds caused by farming in the valley, or the "burn days" for the vineyards and orchards, where they clear an entire spent crop by burning it.

A recent study published in the Fresno Bee actually confirmed that the main source of air pollution in the Valley was not vehicle emissions, fireplaces, etc.--it was the methane produced by the corporate cattle farms. If you blinked, you missed the report, because it disappeared almost immediately.

[WhiteTara]

9. they burn the grape vines here in Mendo county

I used to heat with wood for almost 20 years. We had a catalytic converter in the wood stove and it was so efficient and airtight. We moved closer to town last year and are now heating with propane. I love the little thermostat on the wall, I must confess. I used to maintain my entire utitlities; water, electricity and heat and of course roads. I was much younger than. But we do need to be more thoughtful in our activities and mono culture farming isn't the answer. I'm surprised they burn in the valley though. Why not create giant mulch piles...oh right...must use chemicals.

[ecoalex]

7. How Stupid can you be?

As many suffer from "Valley Flu" from the dust fungus spores put in the air every Fall from Caterpillars puling disks in bone dry fields, how stupid can you be?Ask a Bushite to know.