"NILES -- The day when the U. S. 31 freeway is linked to Interstate 94 in Berrien County may be further off than officials originally planned, thanks to air pollution that likely is originating elsewhere.
"The impact of southwest Michigan's nonattainment designation from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency became a little more clear at a meeting Tuesday of the Niles/Buchanan/Cass Area Transportation Study Joint Technical Advisory & Review Committee.
"Sarah Koepke, transportation planner for the Michigan Division of the Federal Highway Administration, told committee members that transportation projects in Berrien, as well as Cass and Van Buren counties will have more hoops to jump through based on the designations handed down by the EPA on April 15.
"'It's a whole new ballgame now,' she said.
"How new? Koepke said the U. S. 31 freeway project scheduled for completion in 2014 won't be 'grandfathered in,' despite the fact it was on the boards long before the EPA ruled Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties don't conform with current clean-air standards." [snip]
Much of Western Michigan has this same problem with transport air pollution. The EPA finally gave in here in Holland, MI when it was pointed out the the air exiting Ottawa County is 15% cleaner than the air entering the county.
The EPA could shut down every factory, close every road, and move all the people to relocation camps and the area would still be out of attainment. The EPA needs to do their job and clean up the problem at the source, not punish the victims of their own ineptitude.
> "NILES -- The day when the U. S. 31 freeway is linked to Interstate 94 > in Berrien County may be further off than officials originally > planned, thanks to air pollution that likely is originating elsewhere.
> "The impact of southwest Michigan's nonattainment designation from the > U. S. Environmental Protection Agency became a little more clear at a > meeting Tuesday of the Niles/Buchanan/Cass Area Transportation Study > Joint Technical Advisory & Review Committee.
> "Sarah Koepke, transportation planner for the Michigan Division of the > Federal Highway Administration, told committee members that > transportation projects in Berrien, as well as Cass and Van Buren > counties will have more hoops to jump through based on the > designations handed down by the EPA on April 15.
> "'It's a whole new ballgame now,' she said.
> "How new? Koepke said the U. S. 31 freeway project scheduled for > completion in 2014 won't be 'grandfathered in,' despite the fact it > was on the boards long before the EPA ruled Berrien, Cass and Van > Buren counties don't conform with current clean-air standards." [snip]
Eric & Kathy Vander Yacht kvya...@chartermi.net wrote on 6/23/2004 9:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Much of Western Michigan has this same problem with transport air >pollution. The EPA finally gave in here in Holland, MI when it was >pointed out the the air exiting Ottawa County is 15% cleaner than the >air entering the county.
Let me get this straight. There's too much air pollution in Berrien County, so the EPA's solution is to keep vehicles in ever more congested traffic rather than build a highway that will reduce congestion.
Okay, increasing congestion to reduce pollution; that makes a ton of sense. [/sarcasm]
Curnhoolio wrote: > Eric & Kathy Vander Yacht kvya...@chartermi.net wrote on 6/23/2004 9:44 PM > Eastern Daylight Time
>>Much of Western Michigan has this same problem with transport air >>pollution. The EPA finally gave in here in Holland, MI when it was >>pointed out the the air exiting Ottawa County is 15% cleaner than the >>air entering the county.
> Let me get this straight. There's too much air pollution in Berrien County, so > the EPA's solution is to keep vehicles in ever more congested traffic rather > than build a highway that will reduce congestion.
> Okay, increasing congestion to reduce pollution; that makes a ton of sense. > [/sarcasm]
> Remember, these (the EPA) are the same people that invented toilets that > need to be flushed two or three times to work. Reason: To save water.
> Time to shut down the EPA and start an government body staffed with > scientists interested in cleaning up the environment.
> Eric
> Curnhoolio wrote: > > Eric & Kathy Vander Yacht kvya...@chartermi.net wrote on 6/23/2004 9:44 PM > > Eastern Daylight Time
> >>Much of Western Michigan has this same problem with transport air > >>pollution. The EPA finally gave in here in Holland, MI when it was > >>pointed out the the air exiting Ottawa County is 15% cleaner than the > >>air entering the county.
> > Let me get this straight. There's too much air pollution in Berrien County, so > > the EPA's solution is to keep vehicles in ever more congested traffic rather > > than build a highway that will reduce congestion.
> > Okay, increasing congestion to reduce pollution; that makes a ton of sense. > > [/sarcasm]
Yeah abolish the EPA. It's a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.
> Yeah abolish the EPA. It's a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.
YEAH! DAMMIT! WE CAN GET RID OF THEM DAMN WEST NILE VIRUS MOSQUITOES FOR ONCE AND ALL BY USING DDT!!!!
BUMP IT UP!
Keith, do you know what DDT is by the way? Humans have a record of making short sighted decisions that cause long term grief for our environment. I would point out that HUMANS ARE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT. It's okay for politicians to make short sighted decisions because they won't be in office when the shit hits the fan. The problem for humans is that we will still be on this planet when the shit hits the fan caused by those short sighted decisions. Think about that before you vote next time.
> "*****" <*******...@hotmail.com> wrote in message:
>>Yeah abolish the EPA. It's a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.
> YEAH! DAMMIT! WE CAN GET RID OF THEM DAMN WEST NILE VIRUS MOSQUITOES FOR > ONCE AND ALL BY USING DDT!!!!
> BUMP IT UP!
> Keith, do you know what DDT is by the way? Humans have a record of making > short sighted decisions that cause long term grief for our environment. > I would point out that HUMANS ARE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT. It's okay for > politicians to make short sighted decisions because they won't be in office > when the shit hits the fan. The problem for humans is that we will still > be on this planet when the shit hits the fan caused by those short sighted > decisions. Think about that before you vote next time.
> > "*****" <*******...@hotmail.com> wrote in message:
> >>Yeah abolish the EPA. It's a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.
> > YEAH! DAMMIT! WE CAN GET RID OF THEM DAMN WEST NILE VIRUS MOSQUITOES FOR > > ONCE AND ALL BY USING DDT!!!!
> > BUMP IT UP!
> > Keith, do you know what DDT is by the way? Humans have a record of making > > short sighted decisions that cause long term grief for our environment. > > I would point out that HUMANS ARE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT. It's okay for > > politicians to make short sighted decisions because they won't be in office > > when the shit hits the fan. The problem for humans is that we will still > > be on this planet when the shit hits the fan caused by those short sighted > > decisions. Think about that before you vote next time.
