Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Air Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Council adopts air pollution rule tweaks to align with state standards
Summary
Lincoln’s council approved revisions to local air pollution regulations to align thresholds for construction permits (notably for carbon monoxide) with state Title 129 and to add a formal permit-rescission process; staff said the changes do not relax public-safety protections.
The Lincoln City Council on July 13 approved revisions to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Air Pollution Control Program that align local thresholds with the state’s Title 129 air-quality standards and add a formal process to rescind permits.
Gary Bergstrom, air quality section supervisor with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, told the council the changes adjust the threshold for when a facility must obtain an air-quality construction permit, specifically for carbon monoxide emissions. “These changes really seek to ensure that we maintain conformity with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy,” Bergstrom said.
Bergstrom said the threshold increase reflects broader reductions in carbon-monoxide emissions and improved vehicle control technologies, and that the county has been in attainment for carbon monoxide for many years. He added the revisions include provisions allowing operators to request rescission of permits if equipment has been removed, creating an administrative process to terminate unneeded permits.
Councilwoman Washington asked for a qualitative overview and whether the standard changes would lower air-quality protections; Bergstrom responded they are not intended to relax protections but to maintain consistency with state rules.
The council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance changes.
