Better air in Tennessee could end emissions testing

February 12, 2018

Collins Parker,

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Tennessee is now officially in compliance with federal air quality standards for particulate pollution.

Some lawmakers believe that’s a good enough reason to halt those required emissions tests.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has been monitoring air quality for the past fifty years, and making efforts to lower East Tennessee’s air pollution.

For the first time since air quality began being monitored in the 1970s, the entire state of Tennessee has met air quality standards for smog and particulate matter.

There are several factors in reducing those health threats.

TVA is moving quickly in that direction.

“We have reduced, coal dramatically, ten years ago sixty percent of the energy came out of coal, by the end of this decade, twenty percent. So we have retired, or will retire, more than half of our coal fleet,” said Bill Johnson, TVA CEO.

Many government agencies along with private institutions have worked to reduce air pollution.

TDEC says that an improved air quality was also met by the action of communities and individuals to create more access to public transportation, to use cleaner fuels, and to improve fuel efficiency.

Electric vehicles are also more common.

Chattanooga’s air is cleaner, despite the record number of transport trucks passing through and heavy equipment in use.

“Well naturally, anytime that you’re putting less pollutants into the air, your air quality is going to be cleaner,” said Amber Boles, with the Air Pollution Control Board.

As we told you last week, local lawmakers says the improvement in air quality makes those emission stations obsolete.

“The way this works is once you have achieved that standard you must maintain it. And this bill requires that it be maintained. But it allows you to choose other manners of doing so if necessary,” said Representative Mike Carter.

That bill has support from other state leaders, and it is making its way through the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly.