On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by David W. Kelley and Rebecca Helgesen

Follow-Up—Governor, Outgoing EPA Director Tout Clean Air Minnesota

It was a rarified atmosphere at the Science Museum of Minnesota on June 3, 2003, as Governor Tim Pawlenty and outgoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Director Christie Todd Whitman joined representatives of industry, government, and the environmental community to promote Clean Air Minnesota.

Clean Air Minnesota, a program of the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI), is a partnership to voluntarily reduce air pollution. The partnership (including major companies such as 3M, Andersen Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and Flint Hills Resources) was formed in response to recent air-quality alerts in the Twin Cities Metro area related to ground-level ozone.

If the Metro area exceeds federal pollution standards for ground-level ozone, it may be designated a “nonattainment area.” This designation triggers mandatory pollution controls that, according to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, could cost industry and consumers $189-$266 million each year.

“[Clean Air Minnesota has] recognized, with increased smog, with increased alerts, there’s a problem coming down the road,” Whitman was quoted as saying in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “But instead of waiting for that problem to become a crisis, which would put you in violation of clean-air standards, you’re taking action.”

The partnership’s initial efforts will focus on:

• Educating the public about air-quality threats and how to address them;
• Working with industries and small businesses (point and area sources of air pollution) to identify ways to reduce emissions;
• Lowering emissions from mobile sources; and
• Encouraging natural landscaping as an alternative to mowing.

Businesses and organizations ready to sign on to the Clean Air Minnesota approach can do so, if ready to commit to:

• Taking one or more actions to reduce emissions on days when an air pollution alert is forecast;
• Implementing one or more long-term activities to permanently reduce air emissions; and
• Assisting Clean Air Minnesota’s efforts to educate others about the importance of reducing air pollution and protecting air quality.

Find out more by visiting MEI’s web page at http://www.cleanairminnesota.org.

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