News Releases for February 2004
February 13, 2004
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Hoeven Announces Air Quality Agreement With EPA
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today said the State of North Dakota has reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Program. Hoeven and the North Dakota Department of Health have worked on the agreement since 2001. The Governor will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EPA Administrator Michael O. Leavitt in Washington, D.C. in two weeks, when Hoeven will be there for a meeting of the National Governors Association.
“What’s important to remember is that the modeling will now reflect actual emissions, and we are confident that it will show we are in compliance with EPA regulations,” Hoeven said. “That sets the stage for new investments in our energy industry and real progress in our rural communities. We’re working to develop new power plants that bring good jobs and new wealth to our state, but we’re committed to doing it right, and that means taking good care of our air quality.”
Air quality in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has steadily improved since the early 1980s based on actual monitoring data, according to Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health’s Environmental Section. In addition, North Dakota is one of only 16 states in the nation that meet all national ambient air quality standards.
State Health Officer Terry Dwelle, M.D., said, “I commend EPA’s willingness to work with the state to resolve these complex issues. This agreement identifies a process in which we work together to protect the health of our environment and our citizens and reinforces the department’s long-term commitment to follow the law, to be fair and accurate in our decisions and to utilize the best science available.”
Through the MOU, the State of North Dakota will conduct “draft alternative modeling” based on points of agreement outlined in the document. Glatt said the MOU includes two critical provisions for North Dakota. Highlights include the following:
· The MOU allows the state to use advanced meteorology in its modeling; formerly, the state had to rely on only five years of National Weather Service meteorological data. · The MOU acknowledges that actual air quality monitoring data is a significant indicator of air quality in Class I areas and plays a key role in evaluating modeling results.
“We’re committed to relying on the very best science to evaluate our air quality,” Glatt said. “That means using actual air quality data to evaluate model output.”
Glatt emphasized that the issues surrounding PSD are not health based, but focus on how to determine changes to air quality in Class I areas of the state, which include Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Over the past three years, Hoeven has met with former EPA Administrator Christy Whitman and other senior EPA officials to help forge the agreement. Working closely with the Governor, the North Dakota Department of Health has held two public hearings and conducted detailed analyses of modeling techniques. In September 2003, State Health Officer Terry Dwelle issued a finding of no violations; the state program protects North Dakota air quality. Last weekend Hoeven spoke with Secretary Leavitt to finalize the agreement and arrange for the signing.
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