ST. PAUL, MN -- On June 3, Gov. Tim Pawlenty will introduce a coalition of unlikely partners -- businesses, government, environmental and public health groups -- that have joined together to fight the region's growing air problem. The coalition, Clean Air Minnesota, has been created to identify measures that individuals, businesses and other organizations can implement to reduce pollutants that contribute to ground-level ozone, more commonly known as smog. Outgoing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman also is scheduled to attend the invitation-only event and will discuss select environmental initiatives.

"According to the EPA, Minnesota is among the first regions in the U.S. to tackle the issue of voluntarily managing ground-level ozone levels before they reach unacceptable levels -- at which time the state would be ordered to address the problem under federal regulation," says Bill Droessler, director of Clean Air Minnesota. If ground-level ozone surpasses federal limits, state businesses and citizens may be required to pay an estimated $189 million to $266 million each year to meet federal clean air regulations, according to a 1999 study commissioned by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. This figure does not include the costs to state and local governments for creating, implementing and enforcing compliance measures. Nor does it account for the impacts of poor air quality on the natural environment and human health.

"Studies show ground-level ozone is a growing problem in the Twin Cities," says David Olson, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. "If we don't act now, we could face the very high costs so many other metropolitan areas across the country have. We believe voluntary action will improve air quality faster and help us avoid the multi-million dollar price tag of getting into compliance with federal regulations."

Along with Gov. Pawlenty and Gov. Whitman, other leaders who will outline their commitments to improve air quality include Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, representatives of the business community, and several state agency commissioners. The event will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 8 a.m. in Discovery Hall, Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. The early June announcement comes at the beginning of Minnesota's smoggiest season -- summer -- when heat and sunlight combine with pollutants to create ground-level ozone, or smog.

Clean Air Minnesota is funded by a grant from the EPA, along with support from well-known organizations including 3M, Andersen Corporation, the Bush Foundation, Flint Hills Resources, Ford Motor Company, Minnesota Power, Target Corporation and Xcel Energy. Clean Air Minnesota is a program of the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI), a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining innovative partnerships to improve our environment. For further information on MEI, call Michael Welch at 612-334-3388, ext. 107.

Clean Air Minnesota

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