Spokane May Join The Dirty Half-Dozen Pollution From Car Exhausts Would Make City Among Worst In The Nation

FROM FOR THE RECORD (Thursday, March 14, 1996): Fairbanks, Alaska, is among six U.S. cities with the worst carbon monoxide problems. In a Feb. 8 story, a Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority official incorrectly named Anchorage as one of the six worst. (Unpublished correction: The story appeared March 8.)

Spokane may soon be labeled one of the six dirtiest cities in America.

Joining Los Angeles on the short list, Spokane will earn an “F” from the feds for flunking carbon monoxide standards in 1995.

Local officials await a federal proposal - expected by June 30 - redesignating Spokane from a “moderate” to a “serious” carbon monoxide polluter.

“I definitely expect Spokane to be proposed,” said Eric Skelton, Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority director.

The designation means Spokane residents will have to work harder and pay more to clean up the air.

Spokane’s air quality board learned Thursday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proceeding with the redesignation.

Spokane would join only five other U.S. cities - Los Angeles, Denver, Anchorage, Las Vegas and Phoenix - as serious violators.

Skelton notes an irony: The EPA designation makes it sound like Spokane’s air is getting worse, although it’s actually far cleaner than 20 years ago.

“It sounds terrible - Spokane among the worst polluted cities. But if you go back to the ‘70s, you’ll see high levels of carbon monoxide and many, many days of violations,” Skelton said.

In 1974, Spokane flunked the EPA’s 9 parts per million carbon monoxide standard on 231 of 365 days. Levels sometimes approached 40 parts per million.

By contrast, Spokane had no violations in 1994 and almost squeaked by in 1995. Cleaner-burning cars are the main reason.

The city had one violation, the maximum allowed each year, in January 1995 - and then three more in the last two weeks of the year.

In the 1970s, the EPA didn’t have “moderate” and “serious” labels. Cities either passed or failed the standard.

In anticipation of the EPA action, local officials and industry leaders are huddling to decide what to do.

Air quality cops are rechecking the carbon monoxide monitor at Third and Browne, where the three violations were charted last December.

EPA Regional Administrator Chuck Clarke will meet with Mayor Jack Geraghty and other Spokane officials on March 14 to discuss the new designation.

Meanwhile, regulators are planning several strategies to bring the city into compliance. They include: Improving Spokane’s motor vehicle inspection program to identify problem cars more accurately.

Using a more concentrated oxygenated gas next winter.

Working on long-term plans to redesign freeway off-ramps and adjust traffic signals for better traffic flow through major intersections.

Encouraging car-pooling and use of mass transit.

Under the EPA’s “serious” designation, Spokane would have until the year 2000 to attain the federal carbon monoxide standard.

, DataTimes