Show me ‘da money and DRIC Air Quality Results released

Notice: Because I have to submit my proposal to my Communications Studies professor, there will no blog entries for March 19 & 20th. I will resume posting on the 21st. In the meantime be sure to check out the linked blogs under “Blog Roll” for various perspectives.

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I’m really dissapointed in Dave Battagello – his reporting on the border file has been quite exhaustive and investigative. From tunnels to standing up for Windsor against the Ambassador Bridge Company his coverage has been “extra-ordinary” (or extraneous?). Nothing gets in the way of a good story – including those pesky “facts.”

In yet another story that shows just who is boss on the border file, we learn that Representative Steve Tobocman (Brian Masse’s doppelganger) will be reintroducing House Bill 4867 – “calling for the formation of a Michigan Border Development and Protection Authority.”

According to Tobocman, “the proposed border authority would issue annual operating permits to border crossings, regulate tolls and oversee planning and security issues.

Tobocman’s goal for the commission is to take better economic advantage of the huge volume of transportation and trade that rolls through the WindsorDetroit corridor. This is part of a larger package of what we are doing statewide,” he said. “You will see (the border legislation) as part of our overall economic development strategy.”

Except one small, itty bitty question – is this constitutional? Is this the reason why Republicans, “stalled” his bill two years ago? Well, I got curious (I really hate when that happens) and looked up the U.S. constitution and found Article 1, Section 8, which states, among other things that congress is empowered, “To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.”

Well that doesn’t say much about international bridges now, and then I remembered the Bridge Company had to seek a Presidential Permit to construct their bridge and I found this:

“Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968 (33 Fed. Reg. 11741) states that “…the proper conduct of the foreign relations of the United States requires that executive permission be obtained for the construction and maintenance at the borders of the United States of facilities connecting the United States with a foreign country.” Such permission is conveyed via a Presidential Permit. Permits are required for “the full range of facilities” on the border, including, inter alia, bridges, pipelines, tunnels, conveyor belts and tramways.”

And then I found this little tid-bit of information entitled, the International Bridges Act, 1972 which basically states that authority to approve tolls, construction and maintenance of international bridges lay with congress vis a vis the United States Coast Guard.

So essentially, in my opinion, Tobocman’s bill is a futile attempt for the State of Michigan (read grandstanding) to take advantage (cash in on) the tolls collected at all international bridges, and gives state oversight of international crossings (simply ‘watch’). However, my reading of the legislation is that since Congress gives the authority any attempts to collect a share of said tolls or regulate commerce (requiring operational permits) could be deemed unconstitutional.

Oh, but those are just pesky little facts, much like the fact that tunnel ventilation systems in North America, do not scrub emissions or that scrubbers have yet to be successfully proven to work. But gee, it makes a great story to distract the masses and demonstrate how hard our representatives are working.

DRIC First Quarter Air Quality Assessment Released

You know, I need a life – who else reads the Detroit River International Crossing Study website regularly – geez, I must be a lonely blogger indeed!

However, the first quarter air quality results measuring fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels along the Huron Church corrider are posted. The first quarter conclusions:

• There were no exceedances of the MOE AAQCs (1-hr and 24-hr) for NOx at either station during the first quarter of sampling;
• There was no exceedance of the guideline levels for either of the VOCs (acrolein, benzene) that were included in the monitoring program at any point during the first quarter of sampling;
• There were no exceedances of either of the MOE AAQCs for aldehydes
  (acetaldehyde, formaldehyde) that were included in the monitoring program at any
  point during the first quarter of sampling;
• Exceedances of the proposed Canada Wide Standard (24-hr) for PM2.5 were noted at each station (13 at OPHL and 8 at St. Clair College). These may be attributed to any number of local or transboundary sources. The results of the air dispersion modelling which is currently underway will clarify the actual impact of traffic on local concentrations.

But guaranteed, Gord Henderson and/or Dave Battagello and/or Brian Masse and/or Ron Jones and/or Mayor Eddie Francis will turn these results into justification for a tunnel. I’m sure they’ll claim that DRIC is manipulating the numbers and cry out that Windsor deserves “only the best”.

And just to prove how lonely a blogger I really am, I’m going to cross reference the weather data provided with emission levels to see if having a south or west wind increased the levels detected or not. I’m also curious to see if higher humidity and province wide smog alerts were contributing factors. Basically, I want to see for myself if trucks or pollution from other sources (i.e. the US) is responsible for the elevations that were recorded.

But first, I have to complete my proposal….so see you on Wednesday.