Ewu Professor Named To Air Panel

Geography Professor Bob Quinn of Eastern Washington University has been appointed to a task force studying changes in the federal government’s air quality standards.

Quinn is among 20 members of the task force appointed by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The group will advise Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on air quality issues affecting agriculture throughout the country.

In Eastern Washington, wind-blown dust off fields in the Columbia Basin is known to aggravate air pollution problems in Spokane and other cities, particularly during wind storms in the late summer and early fall.

The federal government has tightened its standards for airborne particulates.

Quinn lives near Cheney and is a longtime professor at EWU. Along with knowledge of geography, he is considered an expert in local hydrology and long-range weather patterns.

, DataTimes