Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993                   TAG: 9311180051
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NATURAL BRIDGE                                LENGTH: Medium

GROUP SETS ITS SIGHTS ON A CLEANER VIEW

Its members listened to Cindy Huber talk about the white haze that often hangs over the Appalachian Mountains. For much of the year, a shroud of pollution cuts visibility by 20 or 30 miles, sometimes more, said Huber, an air resource specialist with the Jefferson National Forest.

And sometimes, nature itself draws the curtain. As Huber spoke, the visitors stared smack into a dense fog a mere 20 feet away.

Luckily, Huber had pictures to show the difference between a good day and a bad day for visibility.

Most of the visitors on the field trip Wednesday already were very familiar with the severe impact of air pollution on natural resources in the Southeast. They were part of a larger group that met for a three-day conference in Salem this week.

The Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative is a volunteer, loosely organized consortium of government officials from eight states and three federal agencies, industry representatives, scientists and environmental advocates. With half a million dollars of funding in hand, the group aims to cut pollution levels through public education, business decisions, regulatory agreements - and a whole lot of cooperation.

"That's the challenge," said Sam Collier, a staff member of the Sierra Club's Southeastern chapter. "I wouldn't go into this with a negative attitude."

Several million tons of sulfates, nitrates and other pollutants float into the Appalachian chain every year. Through various chemical processes, these pollutants cause haze, acid rain and ozone, which at ground level can damage biological systems, including human health.

The chemicals tend to hover in the southern Appalachians because the South has more days of stagnant air than anywhere else in the country. Coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions are the major culprits.

After the parkway visit, the group moved on to the James River Face Wilderness Area, which has had its share of damage from all three pollution problems. They learned that 10 percent of Virginia's brook trout streams are acidic, and another 70 percent lack geological defenses that would help combat acidic conditions.

Four fish species have disappeared from one river in the George Washington National Forest since 1976. In another stream, no fish life has been recorded since the early 1970s.

"We may have some streams we're going to lose if our air quality doesn't get better," said Mark Hudy, a fisheries biologist with the Forest Service. Congress enacted tougher air laws in 1990, calling for reductions in national levels of the major pollutants.

But Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative members say its not enough. Even with the new laws, ozone still will damage trees in Appalachia, fish will continue to die in acid-potent streams and haze still will shroud the scenery.

"These are real problems that need to be addressed," said David Carr, director of the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville. "The big word is `action.' "

Carr said environmentalists are pushing for members to set short-term deadlines, so as not to get mired in studies and organizational processes. He said the group should target the worst polluting facilities for cleanup within two years.