Wildlands Announces South Mountain Preserve Conservation, Greenways, and Trails Plan

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Lehigh Valley/Berks Area Air Quality Forecast for Feb 1, 2008

The Lehigh Valley/Berks Area Air Quality Forecast for:

Friday, February 1, 2008:
Fine Particulates (PM 2.5) – Code GREEN

Regional Maximum PM 2.5 Concentrations:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008:
PM 2.5 – YELLOW (54 AQI or 17.0 µg/m3)

Short-Term Discussion:  Mainly sunny conditions with temperatures in the 30s at most locations.  We expect some high clouds to creep in later this afternoon and evening ahead of a storm system that’s currently working its way into the Ohio Valley.  Fine-particulate concentrations remain low at this time.
Increasing clouds overnight with temperatures expected to fall into the 20s.  Precipitation should arrive around dawn starting out as snow or sleet before changing over to sleet and freezing rain.  Temperatures are expected to increase from south to north changing any frozen precipitation to rain by mid-morning if not sooner.  Rain, possibly heavy at times, expected through Friday evening with temperatures slowly rising to near 40 degrees.  Rain may end as brief snow showers late Friday night.  Easterly flow and possibly heavy rains should keep Friday’s fine-particulate concentrations in the code GREEN (good) range.

Extended:  This weekend marks the annual weather ritual of Groundhog Day where serious meteorologists, such as myself, give way to that favorite weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil!  I’ll leave the winter-weather predictions to this furry rodent and his inner circle; expect generally dry weather over the weekend, with above normal temperatures and rising fine-particulate concentrations.

Communities Reduce Smog Ahead of Schedule

From EPA:

For Release: (Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Jan. 31, 200

Communities Reduce Smog Ahead of Schedule

Contact: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

EPA plans to designate 13 areas as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard under Early Action Compact agreements. EPA is proposing this action because each of the areas has demonstrated that they attained the standard by Dec. 31, 2007.

Early Action Compacts give certain local areas the flexibility to develop their own approach to meeting the 8-hour ozone standard, provided the communities control emissions from local sources earlier than the Clean Air Act would otherwise require. For areas that do not meet the ozone standard, attainment dates range from 2009-2021, depending upon the severity of the ozone problem.

The 13 Early Action Compact areas that have attained the 8-hour ozone standard are:

Frederick County/Winchester, Va.
Roanoke, Va.
Washington County/Hagerstown, Md.
Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, W.Va.
Hickory area, N.C.
Greensboro area, N.C.
Fayetteville, N.C.
Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.
Columbia area, S.C.
Chattanooga area, Tenn.
Nashville area, Tenn.
Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol area, Tenn.
San Antonio area, Texas

EPA has been working with these areas to reduce ground-level ozone, or smog, as quickly as possible. Together with EPA, these communities entered into agreements called Early Action Compacts. The Early Action Compacts program has provided a strong incentive for state and local governments, civic leaders and business to develop innovative, cost-effective strategies for improving ozone air quality that are tailored to individual communities.

By reducing pollution ahead of schedule, these communities are bringing sustainable health and environmental improvements to their residents sooner than would have been achieved without these agreements.

More information on the Early Action Compact Program: http://www.epa.gov/air/eac/