[Amalie]

Before everyone flies off the handle, this was due primarily to federal edicts on air quality, which in this case is directly related to the Eastman chemical plant, Weyerhauser paper facility, and Army munitions manufacturing concerns in the Kingsport area. This was the easiest way to get the feds TEMPORARILY off the county's back and buy some time. The chemical plant, despite multiple scrubbers and washers, processes numerous byproducts the leave air quality in the region moderate even on the best days, and eye-watering on the worst. Frankly, I'll drive slower there if it means we can still make the stuff we need for security and American manufacturing. If not, well, the Chinese will be doing it...

[excalibur1701]

Here in Indiana, we increased our speed limits for most highways to 70mph. And guess what? Our highway fatality rate decreased for all of 2006.

[RegulatorCountry]

I'm not flying off the handle, just observing that enforcing different speed limits for heavy trucks and all other traffic is going to increase fatalities. I hate ridiculously low speed limits on highways designed to be safe at much higher speeds, but that county would be better off with 55 MPH for all traffic on that stretch of interstate for safety reasons.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"Frankly, I'll drive slower there if it means we can still make the stuff we need for security and American manufacturing. "

If enviro regulations are hampering our manufacturing of national security widgets then the regulations need to be repealed.

[cva66snipe]

Before everyone flies off the handle, this was due primarily to federal edicts on air quality, which in this case is directly related to the Eastman chemical plant, Weyerhauser paper facility, and Army munitions manufacturing concerns in the Kingsport area. This was the easiest way to get the feds TEMPORARILY off the county's back and buy some time. The chemical plant, despite multiple scrubbers and washers, processes numerous byproducts the leave air quality in the region moderate even on the best days, and eye-watering on the worst. Frankly, I'll drive slower there if it means we can still make the stuff we need for security and American manufacturing. If not, well, the Chinese will be doing it...

In certain prevailing weather conditions no county in East Tennessee can pass EPA standards. The Gulf Air Stream has as much to do with it as anything. Granted Eastman has had some rather bad environmental history especially in the 1960's. I remember the fish kills on Cherokee Lake years ago. A paper plant is a major source. Calhoun, TN and Bowater paper is a good example. Still the state as a whole is far more cleaner than it was in the 1960's when TVA Coal Steam Plants belched out black smoke.

I would say most of the origins are out of the hands of Sullivan County and even the state of Tennessee for that matter as to where the pollutiants originate and this is a futile effort to please the EPA. But the EPA being the control freak it is got what it wanted. Every County has their air quality problems in the Tennessee Valley even the ones that are rural.

Another well known place to bring tears to the eyes is east of Morristown a chemical plant called Enka {sp}. Not a good place to want to retire healthy from or used to be it wasn't.

[cva66snipe]

BTW does'nt the speed limit drop down once you enter Virginia? I know for years it seemed like it did but it's been about 3 years since I went up through there.