CONSTRUCTION BOOM

[TexasStooge]

By Scott Streater , StarTelegram Staff Writer

At a construction site in north Fort Worth, where they're building an Eckerd Drug, black smoke billows from a huge excavator as it strains to lift a concrete block.

Across the street, where construction crews are preparing to build a Walgreens drugstore, road graders noisily plow the dirt as plumes of exhaust trail them like shadows.

Such scenes are played out daily across the Metroplex, where growth has unleashed one of the largest sources of air pollution in the region: diesel-powered construction equipment.

But whereas motorists are subjected each year to the hassle of automobile emission inspections, and industries such as power plants have spent millions to cut emissions, little regulatory attention has been given to the construction industry.

[vbhoutex]

By Scott Streater , StarTelegram Staff Writer

At a construction site in north Fort Worth, where they're building an Eckerd Drug, black smoke billows from a huge excavator as it strains to lift a concrete block.

Across the street, where construction crews are preparing to build a Walgreens drugstore, road graders noisily plow the dirt as plumes of exhaust trail them like shadows.

Such scenes are played out daily across the Metroplex, where growth has unleashed one of the largest sources of air pollution in the region: diesel-powered construction equipment.

But whereas motorists are subjected each year to the hassle of automobile emission inspections, and industries such as power plants have spent millions to cut emissions, little regulatory attention has been given to the construction industry.

You've hit on one of my pet peeves about the control of air pollution in our country TS. Here in Houston so many of the industries are grandfathered under the new laws that they continue to pour crap into our atmosphere. I personally feel that if industries want to continue to operate they should be expected to upgrade to the current laws. NO MORE crybaby "we can't afford it" lies should be allowed!! I think we would be pleasantly surprised how quickly the air would clear if this rule was applied.

As far as the construction equipment is concerned, I am not so sure how big a source of pollution they are. They definitely contribute, but scientifically I wonder. Anyone have any info on that?

You would not believe what the government has been looking at concerning air pollution. There has even been consideration of restricting lawn mowing!!

[coriolis]

Yep, lawnmowers! Some want to outlaw "two stroke" engines (as opposed to four stroke) because they burn oil with the gas, are overall less efficient, and emit unburned gas into the air. The two stroke engines are popular because they produce more horsepower for their size and have fewer moving parts (no valves). I wouldn't object to this for wheeled equipment like lawn mowers, (I don't know if smaller motorcycles, ATVs, and snowmobiles use 2 strokers) but it could extend to chain saws and weed wackers making them heavier, less powerful, and more expensive. Even model airplanes use two stroke engines.

In addition to construction equipment, there's commercial trucks and busses too. I believe that deisel engines emit more "smoke" but it's more particulates that settle out pretty fast as opposed to gasses like CO and NOX that remain in the atmosphere. I'm speculating on this: It may take some kind of filter to clean diesel exhaust.

I'm not defending the diesels, just passing on information....