“State of the Air: 2008” is our site of the day

The American Lung Association has released today their annual report, “State of the Air: 2008” which has a map to click on for a listing of California’s counties and a letter “grade” for each based on the number of high ozone days or particle pollution days. Also listed for each county are the numbers of residents who are at risk from unhealthful levels of ozone or particle pollution. These Californians are at risk for serious and potentially life-threatening injuries and include children, teens and seniors, and people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Ozone, commonly called smog, is formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors when vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Particle pollution refers to what the Lung Association refers to as “the deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that enter the air from fossil fuel burning, wood smoke and agricultural burning.”

All in all, 26 of California’s 58 counties—including many of the largest in population--received failing grades for either high ozone days or particle pollution days. In alphabetical order, they are Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tulare and Ventura. Six counties do not have air quality monitoring stations.

Nineteen counties received an “A” grade for either high ozone days or particle pollution days, with some of these receiving an F in one category but an A in another. The A grade recipients for at least one category, in alphabetical order, are Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma.

Madera, Santa Barbara, Tuolumne and Shasta counties all improved their high ozone day grades from last year’s report, while Humboldt, Plumas and Ventura counties improved their particle pollution day grades.

Of the 25 nationwide counties most polluted by ozone, 12 are in California. Ten of the 25 counties most polluted by short-term particle pollution are in the state, as are seven of the 25 counties most polluted by long-term particle pollution. In addition, California includes 10 of the 25 most ozone-polluted cities, eight of the 25 cities most polluted by short-term particle pollution, and five of the 25 cities most polluted by year-round particle pollution.

Because of these figures, the American Lung Association of California is urging action to reduce diesel exhaust emissions from trucks, buses and port operations. They are urging the California Air Resources Board to develop and adopt this year a strong on-road diesel truck and bus rule to dramatically reduce exposure to diesel soot. They are also working for passage Senator Lowenthal’s SB 974, the Port Investment Bill, to raise container fees at ports to provide ongoing funds to reduce diesel emissions at the ports and in nearby communities and requesting that Prop 1B funds be allocated to replace and retrofit 20- and 30-year-old school buses.

Both the national report and California’s statistics are important for those who care about clean air and California public policy.