At a meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization this week, expert Michael Vince suggested to members that they should talk about possibly forming an "Ozone Action Coalition".  Vince is a senior scientist with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality who says that forming the coalition to promote better air quality would be a good idea in the event that regulations change in the future.

Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency has a 75 parts per billion of ozone standard, and for years, Lafayette's level has stayed at 72 parts per billion.  But, Vince points out that Lafayette drivers might end up paying an extra fee when getting vehicle inspections if the federal guidelines become more strict or if our air quality drops.

If either or those two factors change, Vince says Lafayette would not be in compliance with federal standards.  He says a coalition to explore these issues is a good idea before anything changes in the future.

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