posted March 2, 2007
Although I was disappointed about the Toyota announcement, unlike most of the Chattanooga leaders, I was not surprised. I predicted in my letter two weeks ago that Toyota would choose Marion, Ark., over Chattanooga. I was wrong about Marion, but the logic of why Chattanooga would be eliminated was correct.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal ran a story today entitled Tupelo Had an Edge in Three Areas, by Amos Maki. After reading this story, I don’t know how local officials could be so confused about the reasons we didn’t get the plant. Basically, Marion was defeated by three reasons, skilled labor, air quality, and politics. Two of these are subjective and one is objective and that is air quality. Chattanooga was beaten for the same three reasons and one more which is the brownfield history of the Enterprise South site. Tupelo did not have air quality problems and met all criteria.
First of all, no one can disagree that Enterprise South has been cleared by EPA, TDEC, and probably God Almighty himself, but that didn’t matter in the end. Toyota had a choice of several sites that had basically the same attributes and which were somewhat equal to Chattanooga. The obvious question is why would a multi-billion dollar company take even a minimal risk when they didn’t have to? No matter how many assurances that were given, no matter how many lawyers and engineers get involved, you can’t change the history of that site. You can argue all day long that the site is clean, but a couple of clicks of a computer mouse will tell you the complete history. Whether or not it is clean now is not the point. It is a fact that at one time it wasn’t and there is at least a minimal risk.
The other objective reason, air quality, also played a role. The part of air quality that is being referenced is ground level ozone. Ozone is produced from the reaction of sunlight with nitrous compounds or hydrocarbons. The main source for hydrocarbons are automobile exhaust, gasoline, and things like painting with a hydrocarbon base solvent among others. Chattanooga has the additional problem of geography since we live in a “bowl” making it difficult to get rid of pollutants.
The April 19, 2004 Times/Free Press (TFP) article, Snagged by Ozone Rule, chronicled the fact that Chattanooga was enrolled in an EPA program called an “early action compact.” To be involved in this compact three cities - Chattanooga, Knoxville and the Memphis area - submitted plans to reduce ground level ozone pollution. These plans were rejected by the EPA. This rejection would have severely limited any further industrial recruitment or development in these areas. At the time we were not in compliance and were in jeopardy of being put on a list designating the three cities as “having unhealthy levels of ground level pollution for ozone.”
In response to the EPA, Chattanooga submitted a plan to avoid this designation, which included the car emission testing and a restrictive summer burning program. Knoxville and Memphis did not choose to do so. This was chronicled in the TFP article entitled, “EPA Reversed Course on Air”, June 15, 2004. This article stated that Chattanooga was then admitted back in the program. It also stated, “Had the Chattanooga area not been allowed back in the “early action compact” the EPA’s tougher measures would have gone into effect… One of those measures would have required any incoming industry with large amounts of ozone-causing pollution (Like an automobile manufacturer) to prove it would cut other pollutants.” This is obviously the reason that County Mayor Ramsey and Mayor Corker were willing to push the unpopular choice of emissions testing because there was no way an auto plant could be courted without addressing the ozone problem. Although Chattanooga is doing better with ozone, it is still at a significant level.
The fact is that auto manufacturers use solvent-based paint to cover large amounts of cars which in turn increases the production of ground-level ozone. We could not have courted KIA or Toyota without the emissions inspections and burning restrictions. It is logical that if Toyota did decide to come here it would have a negative impact on our ozone levels. Toyota would not want to be the reason we were pushed over the limit. Our problems with ozone were just another risk that Toyota was not willing to take with other candidates waiting in the wings.
Either our officials know that these are the real reasons and they are hiding it, or they are so naïve as to be beyond belief. The Arkansas governor has already honestly admitted that one reason Toyota turned them down was because of air quality standards in Arkansas. Since Memphis is 12 miles form Marion, Ark., it dominates their air quality. Since we are basically in the same boat as Memphis/Marion with ozone, it stands to reason that it was taken into account when they didn’t pick Chattanooga. We just won’t admit it.
I just gave you my opinion on the most likely real reasons Toyota went elsewhere. It is time our public and Chamber officials are held accountable for continuing on this course. I don’t question the commitment or effort in this endeavor, but I do question the judgment. Effort is not enough when we live in a world of results. If they cannot get the results, we need to replace these people with someone who can.
Tim Price
jat-55@msn.com
* * *
Tim Price must not have gotten his dessert again. Chattanooga's best and brightest has again revealed his keen insight and wealth of experience to criticize the work of dozens of people who brought this community further along than we've been in several decades.
If memory serves, the head of selection for Toyota specifically said last week there were no environmental issues with Chattanooga. If Chattanooga/Hamilton County isn't already considered compliant with EPA air quality rules, then we soon will be. As Mr. Price himself noted, every environmental agency and the company itself gave Enterprise South a clean bill of health. This Toyota official also went on to say that Chattanooga met or exceeded every measure used to gauge a site's suitability for the company, but he must be lying too because the PEF used grant money to pay him off.
So something is extremely flawed in the logic that says Toyota didn't locate in Chattanooga because of environmental factors. Forrest Gump has the common sense to know that Toyota would have never considered Chattanooga as one of two (or any other number) finalists, even if Mr. Price doesn't. It's safe to take the company at its word over the conspiracy theories espoused.
What do they have to lose? And why should local officials "admit it" when there isn't anything to admit? I watched the press conference where the issue was addressed, and there isn't a problem, but, of course, it's a scam the power structure and PEF dreamed up with their stooges using forged documents as evidence.
The public officials and Chamber of Commerce should be held accountable and given a great deal of gratitude for the progress they've made. To go from no place to second in just a few years is phenomenal, so I would hope they continue moving forward with the course already charted, but, of course, they're all pawns of the power structure holding forth their bidding.
But some people can't let it go and have to criticize every move made to improve this community. Since Mr. Price wants to replace "these people with someone who can," then who does he suggest replacing them with?
Does he actually think that this project was the sole basis of existence? It wasn't that long ago that no company would consider Chattanooga for much of anything, and now we're a close second to land a Toyota plant. Again, even Forrest has got sense enough to know how significant that kind of progress is.
Anthony Thomas
Signal Mountain
t-thomas66@hotmail.com
* * *
I have noticed several letters from Tim Price on a lot of subjects and I listen every Saturday to John Wolfe and Tim Price. I don't know how but he seems to know quite a lot about what is going on in our county. His opinions use references and quotes to help prove his points. Anyone who has heard him and read him would not believe he was retarded.
Recently, two letters about the Toyota plant caught my eye because my son lost his good job at U.S. Pipe and is now working at Wal-Mart part time. Getting new businesses here is not some kind of theoretical thing to him. He needs a good job.
The things I read that were said by officials and the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce were basically that they really didn't know why we didn't get the plant and we did everything right. I am simple but if we did everything right, why did it go to Tupelo? Their explanation made no sense. There had to be a reason.
Mr. Price was right about Toyota not coming while almost everyone else was wrong. His explanation in this new letter also makes sense. In order to confirm what he said, I checked the Air Pollution Board website. I am not a technical person but under Criteria Air Pollutants for Hamilton County a statement said that "We are currently out of compliance with particulate and are also taking voluntary measures as part of an Early Action Compact to achieve compliance with ozone." This Early Action Compliance was explained in Mr. Price's letter. This seems pretty straightforward to me that we are having problems.
All Anthony Thomas said was that Mr. Price was retarded and that we should trust our county officials. First of all, anyone who has read Mr. Price or heard him would not compare him to Forrest Gump. If you can't address his points you should not insult him. If you have some pertinent information about this subject. why don't you inform us instead of just making snide remarks.
Mr. Price and I are not the only ones that think something is not right about this explanation. The Chattanoogan poll is one sided in its opinion about that no other auto plant will ever locate here. We need new voices and opinions. My son can't wait another five years for the next chance at an auto company.
Bob Thompson
righton73@msn.com
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |
