http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/meetinghel_3570.mp3
The quality of the air we breathe was a major issue in a meeting held recently to discuss federal air quality standards. KSMU's Nathan McVay has more. (KSMU's Megan Keathley contributed to this report)
Two Springfield groups held a meeting to talk about studies, concerns and solutions to Springfield's air quality issues.
The Ozarks Clean Air Alliance and environmental engineers from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources presented their research to groups such as the Missouri Department of Transportation, City Utilities and Missouri State University.
Jeff Bennett, is an environmental engineer with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and he says that the Springfield air quality concerns may just be getting started.
"Springfield growing, Greene County is growing, that's good, I mean from a reasonable economic development standard that's great news, from an air quality perspective, that's not great news,"
The Ozarks Clean Air Alliance presented ideas from Doug Neidigh, the director of the Center for Sustainable Solutions at Drury University. The ideas he presented were voluntary and could lead to cleaner air. He encouraged the groups to review and evaluate which ones they believe would work and which ones would not.
Neidigh says that the point is to start taking voluntary measures toward cleaner air now before the Environmental Protection Agency comes in a few years and begins to mandate procedures.
After the Ozarks Clean Air Alliance presented its plans, the environmental engineers discussed their air quality modeling data which reflects Springfield's growing population and emissions.
We have a link to all of the information on the Clean Air Alliance's initiative on our website KSMU.org. For KSMU News, I'm Nathan McVay
Links: