Clean bill of health for local air quality

Clean bill of health for local air quality

Brawley: ‘ We are in good shape’

news@theeveningtimes.com

Crittenden County air quality and public transit reports went hand-in-hand before the West Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy board last week.

MPO Study Director Eddie Brawley provided a clean report for commissioners in light of ever increasing Federal air quality standards. West Memphis City Planner Paul Luker reported MATA bus ridership and future funding prospects.

“We are in good shape at this point with our air quality issues,” said Brawley.

Air quality numbers in the region are tracked and the three year average used to determine “attainment” of standards and make the area eligible for Federal highway funds to build and maintain roads. The MPO had failed to attain standards but is back on the road with compliance despite even stricter standards. Summertime heat and humidity make it hard to sometimes hit the new numbers which dropped from 80 parts per billion to 75.

“The new standards have come into place,” said Brawley. “We’ve had a change in our designation.

We are back into attainment and under maintenance requirements. Our conformance report reflects that.”

The local air numbers have been good for the last few years.

“The last three years show our emissions in compliance with the new standards. It goes on a three years average and we need to hope we have another good summer.”

Mass transit helps reduce emissions too. Luker said bus riding rates were steady after consolidating bus routes last year that pushed many students to school district buses and reduced MATA bus riders.

“We are holding steady over the last year when we took that big hit from realigning the routes and changed up some of our service,” said Luker. “We are looking at ways to recapture some of that ridership moving forward.”

Funding to run MATA through West Memphis has been piecemealed together since the jobs and transit program stopped. Funding is in place for the next 12 months. A long range funding solution to running MATA through West Memphis has not been founds.

“Right now we currently have funding but we are still trying to solve it longterm,” said Luker.

By John Rech