Several plants in our area, including one singled out as one of Ohio's biggest polluters, have said they're working to reduce their emissions. To a point, Marietta College Environmental Professor Eric Fitch agrees.

"The good news is, a lot of plants have been working to reduce their emission controls," Fitch says. "There are certainly technologies out there, for the type of emissions we're talking about, to have much cleaner burning plants, and a much cleaner emission stream."

But Fitch adds that, with Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency saying Washington County remains in non-compliance, much still needs to be done.

Fitch points out, however, that not all of the particulates come from local manufacturing plants. Some of it comes from the traffic that passes those plants.

"We're a transportation hub, with major highways going through the area, producing nitrous oxides, and some nitrous oxides coming from power plants and other burning emissions," he says. "And add in the volitle organics from the petrochemical plants in the valley, and you have photo-chemical smog, otherwise known as ozone."

Some Ohio counties do meet the new standards, including some counties in the Huntington and Wheeling areas.

A public meeting will be held Tuesday in Columbus on the new particulate standards, and written comments are being accepted by the Ohio E.P.A. through the end of this week. For more details, click on the "Hot Button".