LAKE COUNTY-The essence of Lake County is not its mobile home parks, summer concerts, bass fishing, or the replacement of pears and walnuts with wine grapes. Ask any resident what is Lake County”s claim to fame and the reply is ubiquitous and often chirped loudly in unison: “We have the cleanest air in the state!”
Well, there is a reason to be proud because this year marks the eighteenth consecutive year the Lake County Air Basin has been designated by the California Air Resources Board as the only district, county or basin in the state to attain all ambient air quality standards.
Currently, Lake County is ranked third in the nation for cleanest long-term particle pollution by the American Lung Association, after Converse, Wyoming, and Elbert, Colorado, respectively. Some of the quality is a result of Lake County”s unique geographical features, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Bob Reynolds of Lake County Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
Mountain ranges encompass the entire county; designating it as its own air basin out of a total of 18 air basins in the state, a unique feature Reynolds says “works in our benefit by keeping pollutants out, but can also potentially cause troubles in the future by trapping pollution in.”
Reynolds, a veteran 28-year employee with AQMD, recalls a time when the air in Lake County was not so clear, due to many factors such as lesser environmental regulations in industry, including the Geysers and now-closed Homestake Mining Company”s McLaughlin gold mine processing plant, the lack of a burn-ban and the rising up of dust particles from unpaved roads and agricultural work. “We have had unique challenges, but hard work and innovation has brought success and now the neighbors and industry are good and constructive partners in managing air resources,” said Reynolds in a press release.
The quality of air has been a source of pride dating back to the early settlers in Lake County-according to historic records called the Henry Mauldin files (located in the Lakeport Courthouse Museum), settlers in the late 19th century named “Clear Lake” as such for the clear air, rather than the common-and mistaken-belief that the name was for the lake itself, which is known to be anything but clear.
In fact, Clear Lake is a eutrophic (ecologically highly productive and rich in nutrients) lake and as a result has a high propensity to develop algae in its waters when the oxygen is depleted by thriving organisms.
The attainment of the stellar air quality during the past two decades came as a result of “shared community achievement,” according to Reynolds, when industries implemented control technologies to become cleaner and greener.
Retrofitting of older, large gasoline stations, asphalt plants, incinerators, and the establishment of a burn ban during the ”80s contributed to the achievement, said Reynolds.
As a result of the clean air, Lake County is one of the few places where DMV vehicle smog fees, biannual Smog I or II checks, emissions offsets for new resources and other state programs are not required.
The state”s designation process has been required by law since 1989-criteria have since relaxed but records must show near-perfect marks for three consecutive years in order for an air basin to receive the attainment designation.
There are ten state ambient air standards each air basin must attain: ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter smaller than ten microns, sulfate particulate, lead, hydrogen sulfide, vinyl chloride, and visibility-reducing particles. Reynolds says that small particulates and visibility-which can be affected by tiny pieces of soot, soil, acid, fibers and organic aerosols-are the most difficult to control. These particles do not reflect light and “cast shadows” causing the air to appear hazy on some days.
The visibility standard uses two sophisticated instruments; a nephelometer and a coefficient of haze monitor that determine visibility by measuring and capturing air samples. “The room we test in is climate controlled in a room within a room we even wear gloves and have to make sure the samples are not contaminated,” said Elizabeth Knight, a senior air quality specialist with AQMD who regularly climbs the towers in Lakeport to check the air monitors.
Lake County is the only air basin to have complied with the particulate matter and visibility air standards, the latter of which requires 10 miles of visibility between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on days when relative humidity is below 70 percent.
With the population in the county growing from the eight percent annual growth experienced in 2006, according to the US Census, Reynolds says in the future it will be important for people to live near city centers so they travel less, and to drive fuel efficient vehicles.
“The Board of Supervisors is very supportive and intent on focusing development near city limits. Everyone wants to keep our exceptionally clean air There is no one, or even ten, reasons you reach attainment, it is done by thousands of people doing the right thing,” said Reynolds.
Dist. 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said the 2006-2007 general plan for the county includes a vision of growth that minimizes and mitigates traffic. “In the general plan we want to focus growth within community boundaries It”s about what makes the best sense for smart and guided growth for our community-you certainly don”t want sprawl or hop scotch development,” said Farrington.
