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Nonattainment Designations
for Air Pollutants in West Virginia
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by Jim Kotcon | 2004

Summary: You can keep officials' attention focused on cleanup now that even more counties have been added to nonattainment list.

New air pollutant standards to limit fine particulate pollution (PM 2.5) were established by EPA in 1997. After several years of monitoring, the WV Department of Environmental Protection found numerous locations with unhealthy air in West Virginia. They proposed that Kanawha, Putnam, Cabell, Wayne, Marion, Wood, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, and Berkeley counties be designated as “nonattainment” because monitors in those counties showed violations of the PM 2.5 standard. The designation means that these counties consistently have air pollution levels in excess of the EPA health standard.

On June 29, EPA proposed adding Mason, Monongalia, Harrison, and Pleasants County to the “nonattainment” designation because they are adjacent to, and contribute significantly to, air quality problems in adjoining nonattainment counties, as required under the Clean Air Act. EPA wisely recognized that large power plants are major factors contributing to the PM 2.5 violations, and many counties could not clean up if their neighbors were allowed to continue to dump pollution into the air.

The nonattainment designation would implement a series of clean-up measures to bring the areas back into attainment. Among other requirements, the nonattainment designation limits new industrial siting and puts further restrictions on federal highway funding. Thus, the designation of “adjoining” counties is an important step to force cleanup in all of the areas that contribute to air pollution violations.

For example, Monongalia and Harrison counties were included in EPA's proposed designation because they contribute significantly to nonattainment in Marion County (Fairmont). If Monongalia and Harrison are not included, Marion County will need much more extensive reductions in emissions within its borders to come back into attainment. Since Monongalia County emits over 5 times the pollutants of Marion County, and Harrison emits more than 3 times as much, leaving Marion to fend for itself means that Marion potentially might be unable to ever emerge from nonattainment status. Marion County’s economic future would remain bleak and stifled while the “big dirties” (the Harrison and Fort Martin power plants) will continue to emit as much as ever in the adjoining counties.

Industry spokespeople are opposing the nonattainment designations, due to the costs associated with the required cleanup, and economic development officials are also concerned about restrictions on development in the designated counties. Some are even seeking to oppose EPA’s designations.

A far better approach would be to seek assistance from EPA to identify large pollution sources and seek cleanup as quickly as possible, so that the nonattainment counties can regain the economic benefits of attainment status, and, more importantly, the economic benefits of cleaner air. Particulates contribute to increased health care costs, more days off work due to illness for employees, more days of missed school for kids, more emergency room visits, and more deaths.

West Virginia leads the nation in power plant deaths per capita, and opponents of the nonattainment designations are, in effect, saying that is OK. Call your county commissioners and state legislators. Urge them to support the nonattainment designations and focus on improving air quality.