Spokane County Violated Air Standards In January

Spokane County got through all of 1994 without violating federal clean air guidelines. This year, it didn’t get through the first half of January.

A carbon monoxide violation was registered Jan. 9 near a monitoring station at Empire Ford downtown, said Eric Skelton, director of the county Air Pollution Control Authority.

The pollution levels were persistent throughout the day. They were caused by a low-level inversion and icy roads, which slowed traffic.

During winter, air is more stagnant and carbon monoxide from automobile tailpipes doesn’t escape as fast into the atmosphere. Early darkness means evening commuters drive slower, causing cars to stack up and idle longer, said Skelton.

Spokane went through 1994 without violating federal health standards for carbon monoxide and dust. That was the first year the county got a clean slate since monitoring began 25 years ago.

The county has to prove to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency it is meeting mandates of the Clean Air Act by Dec. 31.

To meet the standard for carbon monoxide, a colorless gas that can be toxic if inhaled, there can be no more violations in 1995.

Skelton is optimistic that can happen if weather remains mild through February.

“There’s still a potential for violations but typically, after February we don’t see them,” he said.

In the winter, county drivers purchase gasoline blended with oxygen to reduce polluting emissions.

Skelton said his agency is proposing that oxygen levels in the mixture be boosted slightly. A public hearing on that proposal is set for next month.