To wrap up The Arizona Republic’s series “The Air We Breathe,” Shaun McKinnon will answer questions about local pollution, its effects, and what’s being done to address the problem. The chat will be held on Feb. 6, from noon-1 p.m., at azcentral.com
By Shaun McKinnon
(Last in a series)
In February 1998, the Governor’s Air Quality Strategies Task Force delivered to Gov. Jane Dee Hull a thick report recommending actions that could reduce levels of ozone, carbon monoxide and dust particulates in metropolitan Phoenix.
Some of the recommendations were enacted, such as requiring cleaner-burning gasoline during the winter months and cleaner-burning fireplaces in new homes. Other ideas were rejected, such as a pollution tax to pay for dust reduction or limits on gas-powered landscaping equipment.
Nearly 14 years later, the task-force report remains the last attempt to address air quality in Arizona with comprehensive, forward-looking proposals.
Since then, state and local agencies have acted almost exclusively in response to deadlines and threats from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces the Clean Air Act. Almost every new law or ordinance related to air quality has been adopted to satisfy an EPA rule.
Almost nothing has happened to address the threat of traffic-related pollution sources along major roads and freeways or to help children or adults with respiratory illnesses aggravated by air pollution.
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