Title
Requesting that the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, as the official area-wide regional planning agency and designated metropolitan transportation planning agency for Southeastern Wisconsin, monitors and reviews the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources air quality planning process and provide regular briefings to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. (1/25/11 Laid over)
Body
by recommending adoption of the following:
A RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Milwaukee County is in nonattainment for national ozone air quality standards (along with Kenosha, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha Counties) and the American Lung Association rates Milwaukee County's air quality as "F" on a scale from "A" to "F" for the number of high ozone days and particulate matter in a 24-hour period, which leads to increased numbers of lung diseases including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema; and
WHEREAS, although ozone monitoring data for 2006-2008 indicates air quality standards are being achieved, more stringent ozone standards are expected to be promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) later this year and it is expected that Milwaukee County may not be in attainment of the new standards; and
WHEREAS, the new standards will include a schedule for the development of a new state implementation plan for achieving attainment that would be prepared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), as the designated air quality planning agency for the State of Wisconsin; and
WHEREAS, Milwaukee County is also designated as being in nonattainment of national fine particulate matter air quality standards along with Racine and Waukesha Counties; and
WHEREAS, the WDNR has already initiated a state implementation planning process for achieving fine particulate matter standards and expects completion will occur in December of 2012; and
WHEREAS, it is recommended that SEWRPC, as the official areawide regional planning agency and designated metropolitan transportation planning agency for Southeastern Wisconsin, monitors and reviews the WDNR's air quality planning process and provide regular briefings to Milwaukee County staff and the County Board; and
WHEREAS, these briefings will provide county staff and elected officials with the knowledge and information regarding findings of inventories, analyses and WDNR planning, and to have input and opportunity to participate in and shape WDNR planning for nonattainment of national air quality standards in Milwaukee County, Southeastern Wisconsin and the State of Wisconsin; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors hereby requests that the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, as the official areawide regional planning agency and designated metropolitan transportation planning agency for Southeastern Wisconsin, monitors and reviews the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources air quality planning process and provide regular briefings to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.