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Ozone Eco-Raptor
Mark
Y. Avelli
05/1/2003
Panhandle ozone compliance reporting by the PNJ eco-raptor fails to reveal a balanced objective representation of the issues. It is true that the panhandle area experienced violations of federal ground level ozone standards during the April 12-15 time period.
Readers are led to believe that these violations are isolated to the area. Not so!
Ozone measuring stations are located in thirty (30) of Florida's 67 county's. Twenty-two (73 %) of these stations (county's) recorded ozone levels that violated federal levels during the recent Apr. 12-15 period.
HIGH OZONE DURING THIS PERIOD WAS A STATE WIDE EVENT. And, although high temperatures contribute to ozone formation, examination of the data prior to and after the Apr. 12-15 dates clearly shows that temperature was not a significant factor. High ozone days in Florida during winter months is unknown. Thus, it is acknowledged that higher temperatures do contribute to ozone formation. However, the available data suggests that temperature is not the dominant variable.
During the past five years, two-thirds of all the high ozone days in Florida were recorded in two months, May and August. Fewer high ozone days are recorded during the hot months of June, July, and September. It is significant that during the past decade over half of the high ozone days in Florida were recorded in the relatively cooler months of March through June.
The FDEP has failed to identify the prime variable in the ozone equation. A hint is provided; during two mornings of the recent high ozone events, my vehicle parked
overnight under a tree (its usual spot) accumulated a uncharacteristic fine non-aqueous, easily smearable mist.
Could this mist and other emanations from the trees be the significant variable in the ozone equation?
The FDEP will make little progress understanding ozone generation until they determine why, during the Apr. 12-15 event, only 4 of the 36 high ozone excursions were recorded in Florida's five most populated counties. Almost half of the state population. reside in these five county's. VOC's from vehicles and energy consumption that contribute to ozone formation should be higher in populated areas.
It is evident that private industry has been selected as the ozone villain in Florida. It is less taxing for the FDEP and the news media to harass industry. It has been black -mailed to commit huge capital investments (i.e. Gulf Power) of dubious environmental value to force them to fulfill their vision of the public good. It is too high a price to silence the news media and a few vocal eco-raptors whose activism is rapidly laying the groundwork to transform this country to third world status.
Mary Y. Avelli
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