NWI air cleaner, but vehicle emissions testing to remain
BY Teresa Auch Schultz tauch@post-trib.com February 3, 2012 5:48PM
Lane inspector Ryan Brunn examines a car at the Clean Air Car Check vehicle emissions testing site in Crown Point, Ind. Friday February 3, 2012. | Stephanie Dowell~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 5, 2012 8:06AM
Lake and Porter counties will reach a major environmental milestone Monday: Fine particle matter, one of the pollutants that forced the region to start testing vehicle emissions, will finally and officially drop below federally established limits.
Don’t get too excited, however. According to state officials, emissions testing isn’t leaving the region any time soon.
“Emissions testing in Northwest Indiana is an effective control, and it still needs to occur,” Rob Elstro, a spokesman with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, said.
Elstro said the data show vehicle emissions, not manufacturing, are the main source of the fine particle matter, tiny specks of dirt that can hang in the air. When the entire state was found to have a higher level of the particles than federal guidelines, it was labeled as unattainment. Only a few counties had to test for vehicle emissions, however, and two other such counties in the south have actually reached the point where they no longer have to vehicle emissions testing.
However, Elstro said the testing in Northwest Indiana is, essentially, the entire reason the region now meets the federal guidelines. Elstro said that emissions testing is part of the region’s 10-year plan following the official announcement of attainment but that the region must create another 10-year plan in eight years. Emissions testing might be re-evaluated then.
There’s also the issue the region could likely soon be found to be failing when it comes to ozone, the other factor for emissions testing. IDEM Commissioner Tom Easterly announced Thursday at a Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission meeting Thursday that all of Northwest Indiana’s ozone monitors actually register below the federal limit but one monitor in Illinois was above the limit. Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers the region to be part of metropolitan Chicago, Lake, Porter and Jasper counties could be found to fail on ozone, Elstro said.
Easterly said at the Thursday meeting he still supports emissions testing for the region and even cited Illinois’ decision to cut back on its emissions testing as the reason why one of its monitors failed on ozone.
“We want to show the EPA that if Illinois hadn’t done that, they would have met the standards,” Easterly said.
However, Elstro said the concern for Northwest Indiana on ozone is about how the weather pattern moves and whether pollution might move from one area to another.
Still, Elstro said air quality across the state has improved. Most areas have reached attainment for fine particle matters and the state is in the process of filing for attainment. Regions first have to provide data showing they met the federal limits for three years and then submit a report. The EPA then reviews the report, publishes it and conducts a public comment session before making it official.
Even though emissions testing will remain, Carl Lisek, executive director of South Shore Clean Cities, said the final confirmation is reason to celebrate.
“All we hear about is doom and glooms, (but) this really is a celebration,” Lisek said.
Although emissions have played a large role, Lisek said South Shore Clean Cities, which is associated with the U.S. Department of Energy, remains committed to encouraging the use of alternative fuels and other acts, such as limiting the idling of cars, to help reduce fine particle matter.
Lisek said he didn’t know if the region would ever be able to stop testing for vehicle emissions.
“It’s hard to say,” Lisek said. “But think, 10 years ago people would say this area will never get attainment.”
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