Beyond Coal at Virginia Tech hosted a rally for the National Day of Action for Stricter Ozone Controls yesterday in support of newly proposed national standards for ozone pollution levels.
Beyond Coal continues to campaign for cleaner energy on campus, senior member Bryce Carter said. Tuesday’s rally was designed to be a portion of their campaign for switching exclusively to clean energy on campus by 2020.
After university administration rejected the student group’s push to remove coal-powered energy, generated by the on-campus power plant, Beyond Coal is now re-grouping.
“They know we’re serious,” Carter said.
Tuesday’s rally, backing new regulations for air cleanliness standards, was a way for Beyond Coal to emphasize their platform by calling attention to a detrimental side effect of coal usage.
Sophomore Sarah Grant, a Beyond Coal spokeswoman, said the group began planning the event before spring break to coincide with a nationwide rally day in support of the stronger standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a revision to air quality standards in January. The current average level is about 80 parts per billion; the new standards would reduce the maximum level to a range of 60 to 70 parts per billion.
The EPA also suggested establishing a distinctive “secondary” standard, which would have a different range and is “designed to protect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems,” according to the proposed rule.
The last set of standards was set in 2008 and was not as protective as recommended at the time, according to the proposal.
Project leader sophomore Kara Dodson said the event would hopefully raise awareness of the proposed change in standards.
“It’s encouraging students to come out to collect public comments on the recent legislation,” she said.
Cathy Milbourn, spokesperson from the EPA’s air quality headquarters, said the standards haven’t yet been finalized. They should be finalized by August 31.
The public comment period on the legislation closes March 22.
Linsey Marr, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tech, said changing the standards would help protect public health, both for people and nature.
Marr spoke at yesterday’s rally about the “ample evidence” she has found through more than 15 years of research of the harms of coal.
She became involved with Beyond Coal when the student group contacted her asking if she would be interested in contributing her expertise to the event.
“I think I’m probably the person on campus who knows the most about it,” Marr said.
Marr’s research has found the ozone levels in Blacksburg to be in compliance, mainly because of the fact that there are less cars being driven in the area than other more populated areas such as Roanoke.
“Ozone is mainly due to vehicle emissions,” she said.
Blacksburg’s ozone emissions are usually “no more than 50” parts per billion, Marr said.
Various counties throughout the nation monitor ozone levels on the ground level, which are the most harmful to people and wildlife.
Milbourn said that although the EPA’s data doesn’t show Montgomery County in violation of current smog standards, Roanoke County is currently in violation. Other violating Virginia counties include Arlington, Caroline, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Fauquier, Henrico, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford.
The EPA has also compiled a list of counties that they expect will be in violation with ozone levels over 60 parts per billion in 2020. These predictions are based on the probability of the legislation being enacted.
“It’s based on modeling which would include estimates of what would happen,” she said. “It’s really just an estimate.”
Some Virginia counties estimated to remain in violation are Arlington, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, Prince William, Roanoke and Stafford.
Dodson said even though Montgomery County is not currently in violation of smog standards, other areas of the state and country can still affect it.
“Air flows between regions,” she said. “Air from the Ohio industrial belt can travel to our area.”
Dodson said she hoped students attending Tuesday’s rally would become more educated about the dangers that air pollution can pose, especially health dangers like asthma, allergies, and heart attacks.
Sophomore Matthew Monteverde also spoke at the rally. Monteverde, who grew up in Indonesia, has suffered from asthma his entire life.
“We are lucky in the United States to have cleaner and more regulated air standards,” he said.
Monteverde said he became involved with Beyond Coal because he supports a switch to clean energy.
Grant said the goal of the event was to enhance awareness of the problem of ozone pollution and to encourage public support of the legislation.
“Public health is an important issue everywhere,” she said.
If accepted, the plan would become effective by August 2011. All states would then be required to submit outlines of their plans to reduce pollution to meet the new standards by December 2013.
Marr said she thinks the legislation will “probably” pass.
“There’s strong scientific evidence for it,” she said.
Carter said Beyond Coal would continue to campaign for clean energy sources on campus and nationwide and their ultimate goal of eliminating the coal plant on campus by 2020.
“It’s not going to be a flick of a switch,” he said, to switch to clean energy.