I noted before that during the previous administration there seemed to be a lack of current comprehensive air quality reports, but new reports have just been released by the American Lung Association that used the EPA’s study conducted over a recent 3-year period.
Relative to the American Lung report, an ABC news article stated: “Roughly 60 percent of Americans live in areas where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels that can make people sick, suggests the 2009 State of the Air report released today by the American Lung Association.” The study concentrated on increased levels of particulate matter, and ozone because they pose health risks. The results are not good, “Air pollution remains widespread and dangerous with nearly every major city burdened by some type of pollution from either ozone or particle pollution.” Even places that are considered pristine showed a rise in air pollutants.
The report also says that despite the “green movement” in the U.S., our air increases our health risks. I would call it more like a green crawl. The ABC article says that Americans aren’t all that concerned about air quality. Obviously not because more coalburners are going up. The general public believes dirty air is concentrated in industrialized areas. But that is a big error. Poor air quality is widespread and aggravating conditions like asthma and bronchitis. We just may be blaming our stuffed up heads on pollen and springtime, when it’s industry pollution and the ozone that are tipping the overload. My husband and I have terrible sinus problems this year like never before.
Monroe did not fair well on the particulate test. It got a D. The report is incomplete for ozone in Monroe since there were no figures for it at all. The absence of ozone reporting is represented by the “-” in the report. But with Wayne County having both ozone and particulate reports complete and receiving an overall F for air quality, and Lucas County, OH getting an F for ozone, and D for particulates also, it doesn’t look much better for Monroe that is sandwiched between them.
Parameters for measuring particulates were changed by the EPA in 2006 also, (On September 21, 2006, the EPA announced a revised 24-hour National Ambient Air Quality standard for PM2.5). I could not determine from the explanation for this change, whether EPA parameters were more strict or loose. Monroe passed the EPA’s annual rating though. Go figure. According to the explanation of methodology:
[] The EPA determines whether a county violates the standard based on the 4th maximum daily 8-hour ozone reading each year averaged over three years. Multiple days of unhealthy air beyond the highest four in each year are not considered. By contrast, the [Lung Association] system used in this report recognizes when a community’s air quality repeatedly results in unhealthy air throughout the three years. Consequently, some counties will receive grades of “F” in this report showing repeated instances of unhealthy air, while still meeting the EPA’s 1997 ozone standard or the 1-hour ozone standard set in 1979. The EPA adopted a new ozone standard on March 12, 2008. This grading system has not been adjusted to reflect the new standard.
The EPA’s annual rating gave Lucas County a pass, but failed Wayne. Somehow I don’t feel all that assured about Monroe’s “pass” status for air quality by the EPA. Our health is being measured in parts per million again, and among changing standards.
The ABC news article: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesNews/story?id=7449100&page=1
The American Lung website: http://www.stateoftheair.org/2009/states/
How the study was done: http://www.stateoftheair.org/2008/methodology/