Today I attended the meeting for Non-attainment Area Boundaries in 
Davenport put on by the DNR.  Rachel Griffiths and Clifford Day, Sierra 
members, also attended.  Jim McGraw and several other DNR officials 
conducted the meeting. Other attendees were: Mayor Gluba, Pet De Cock 
from Representative Braley's office and a room full of business 
representatives.

Scott and Muscatine counties have areas which exceed air quality limits 
according to monitors placed by the DNR. This meeting addressed issues 
in Scott county only. Another meeting for Muscatine county will be held 
tomorrow. According to the Clean Air Act, non attainment areas must 
come into compliance by 2014. The area in Scott county is less than one 
square mile in southwest Davenport. One of the monitors, about 300 feet 
from Blackhawk Foundry property,  shows the highest concentration of 
particulate matter.

The meeting lasted from 1 PM until 3:40 PM. The DNR talked about 
complicated things that affect monitor readings such as wind, seasonal 
differences, population areas, and traffic flows. There was a lot of 
technical talk about fine particulate matter and coarse PM. Fine 
particular matter is up to 2.5 microns in diameter while coarse is 10 
microns.

I asked if the polluters were fined if their monitor reading exceeded 
the limits.  They are not fined  and the DNR works with the polluters 
to solve the problems and to make sure the readings reflect the actual 
conditions.

The DNR allowed an hour for the stake holders to show their power point 
presentation of their side of the issue.  Stake holders were Alcoa, 
Grain Processing, Bi State Regional Planning and Blackhawk Foundry. 
Their position was the DNR should give them a one year extension while 
the DNR analyzes all the science and factors affecting the monitoring. 
They say a non attainment designation is inappropriate for Scott and 
Muscatine counties and that the monitors are source located. The 
business folks also said the readings can be effected by local "upset 
conditions" like wild fires, agriculture dust, disasters, like 
tornadoes and transported pollution like tire wear and brake dust from 
highway traffic.

They claimed health is important but DNR needs to better evaluate the 
causes of pollution, and  follow federal standards for monitoring. A 
representative for Bi State Regional Planning said air quality in Scott 
county has actually improved in the last ten years. (?)  The DNR did 
not respond to the group's statements.  Jerry

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