We are concerned about our air, and we are in this together

The News Tribune’s Dec. 18 editorial, “Way too much crackdown for a few days of bad air,” highlights the difficult position Pierce County is in because of our poor air quality.

Some of the strategies proposed by the Tacoma-Pierce County Clean Air Task Force do require tough choices. However, simply painting the Clean Air Task Force’s recommended solutions as going too far disregards the very real costs associated with the poor air quality in our county. Both of our organizations see tremendous negative effects on our health and our economy if action is not taken.

Fine-particle pollution, which in the colder months is primarily caused by wood-burning, leads to significant health effects including asthma, lung disease, increased rates of heart attack and stroke, and even premature deaths. On days when the air quality reaches dangerous levels, visits to local emergency rooms go up. Approximately 1,100 deaths in the state of Washington every year are caused by fine-particle pollution.

Obviously the loss of life carries both financial and emotional costs, but how do we quantify the costs incurred before death? From missed work, expensive prescription drugs and hospital costs, our bad air is putting an unnecessary strain on the families and the health-care systems in our communities.

The editorial does not mention the very real economic consequences that the Clean Air Act can impose. Because Pierce County is an area of nonattainment for air quality, large industries wishing to expand or new large business seeking a home in Pierce County face stricter requirements. What might seem like a couple of weeks a year of nuisance to some can look like a “closed for business” sign to potential employers.

In creating a plan, the task force emphasized the importance of education and incentives, but the federal Clean Air Act requires that more than 90 percent of the pollution reductions in our plan come from enforceable measures.

Finally, if we can’t clean up our air, one future consequence can include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandating its choice of solutions and cuts in federal transportation funding.

Getting to cleaner air requires that everyone contribute to the solution. New regulations and engine and fuel improvements will lead to one-quarter to one-third of the needed reductions from typical pollution sources like cars, trucks, ships and industry.

The task force recommended two additional major solutions to address the remaining sources of pollution.

One suggests ramping up the enforcement of burn bans when air quality is poor and the public’s health is at most risk. The other suggests that the oldest, most polluting wood stoves – those 20 years old or older with no pollution controls in them – be removed by August 2015. The task force’s recommendations prioritize aiding low-income residents and did not recommend charging a fee for wood-burning devices.

We are all in this together. The Clean Air Task Force is a collaborative partnership, made up of people with health expertise, industry leaders, wood-burners, neighborhood advocates, real estate professionals and local government. They rolled up their sleeves to propose solutions to this problem, and now it’s our turn.

No solution will come without some sacrifices. But when the air clears, we will all be able to breathe a sigh of relief, for both our health and for our economic future.

Learn more online at cleanairpiercecounty.org.

Dr. Anthony L-T Chen is director of health with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Tom Pierson is president and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.