
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994                    TAG: 9406100015 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A18    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Medium 
DATELINE: 940610                                 LENGTH:

OZONE AIR-QUALITY STANDARD AND HAMPTON ROADS

{LEAD} You stated that Hampton Roads has been in compliance with Clean Air Act standards since 1989 (``It's clean already,'' editorial, May 25). This is incorrect. Hampton Roads has not been in total compliance with Clean Air Act standards since 1989.

According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Air Office, the ozone standard has been exceeded three times at the Hampton monitoring station and five times at the Suffolk monitoring station since 1989. These two monitoring stations, along with a station in Holland, Va., are the official monitoring stations for the ozone air-quality standard in Hampton Roads.

{REST} You stated that nothing need be done because today's new cars with emission controls and a turnover in the vehicle fleet will result in 20 percent cleaner air by 2005. An accurate percentage of improvement would have to also calculate increased population and therein an increase of cars and their emissions.

The primary air-quality standards have been set to protect human health. Many scientists believe that the present ozone standard is too weak to adequately protect health. Fifty percent to 60 percent of ozone is caused by automobile emissions. Since ozone is harmful to human health and the environment, and since Hampton Roads exceeds the present ozone standard, I find it difficult to understand why you advocate that Virginia officials ``do as little as possible'' to meet EPA regulations and assert that the ``Clean Air Act is a massive fraud.''

The EPA and the Clean Air Act may not be perfect, but because of them our air is cleaner - a goal which needs to be pursued, not stonewalled, as the editorial advocates.

BEVERLY MANN

Norfolk, June 6, 1994

Editor's note: Ms. Mann is former vice chairman of the Hampton Roads Air Pollution Control District Committee. by CNB