Spring is finally in the air, and thanks to an ICT-sponsored summit, states including Illinois have new information, tools, and support from federal, state and local air quality officials as they work together to comply with federal air quality standards, reduce the impacts of hazardous air pollutants, and address climate change.
The recently published proceedings from the Midwest Transportation Air Quality Summit include discussions from 64 representatives of federal, state, regional, and local
transportation or air agencies in the Midwest about the current and upcoming challenges affecting both transportation and air quality planning in the Midwest. The states represented at the summit included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The information shared and documented at the summit will have positive implications for air quality in the Midwest as the officials charged with implementing and enforcing the standards shared best practices and experiences. Because many air quality issues are affected by the transportation sector, it is important for air and transportation officials to work together cooperatively.
Michael Koerber of the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation, organized the summit which included a total of 42 presentations made by 32 speakers. The format allowed for audience participation with question-and-answer periods in each session and two short open round-table discussions. Koerber explains, “Our hope was to provide a foundation for Midwest air and transportation agencies to begin to develop appropriate and effective approaches for achieving cleaner air in the region.”
The Conference sessions included state implementation planning activities for new air quality standards, mobile source emission inventories (and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new MOVES emissions model), highway project-level analyses, current diesel engine programs, climate change, mobile source air toxics, and on-going mobile source-related research studies.
According to Walt Zyznieuski, Air Quality Specialist for the Illinois Department of Transportation, “The Midwest Transportation Air Quality Summit was very successful in that it brought together federal, state, and metropolitan planning organizations to discuss various air quality issues and emerging topics. In addition, round-table discussions were useful in identifying and laying out solutions for participants.”
The summit convened at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, Illinois, in fall 2009, and the proceedings were recently published. The conference proceedings are included on the ICT Publications Page.
Photo: Summit Attendees pose after evening hike through Pere Marquette State Park.