SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2007 report card was released today, and it sounds a clear warning to the millions of American living in the upper Midwest. While many of the Midwest counties and cities scored in the American Lung Association’s annual air quality report card did well, other regions in or near large metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and St. Louis scored poorly. Even more troubling are poor scores in some areas in rural Iowa and Wisconsin without heavy concentrations of industry or vehicles, suggesting that the quality of life and health of local residents are being threatened not only by air pollution they have generated, but also by pollution sources from around a six-state region that are crossing county and state lines.
Harold Wimmer is president and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest (ALAUM), which covers Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. “It is disappointing, but not surprising to see counties in or near the metro areas earn ‘F’ grades for both ground level ozone and particulate pollution in this year’s report,” Wimmer said. “However, when rural areas of Iowa get failing grades for particulate pollution and scenic and remote Door County in Wisconsin scores no better than the heavily populated Milwaukee County for both types of pollution measured, we know something is wrong. It demonstrates that air pollution does not respect state boundaries, and a problem in one state can quickly become a health risk to others downwind of the source.”
Nationwide, the number of counties scoring an A grade for ozone levels increased from 82 in 2000 to 145 this year, but particle pollution levels show an ominous trend, with F grades nearly doubling in just one year. The Lung Association’s 2007 report uses the stricter particulate standard announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the fall of 2006. In the 112 Midwestern counties included in the 2007 State of the Air report, 56 scored an A grade, 36 scored a B grade, 24 scored a C grade, 6 scored a D grade and 27 scored an F. Not every county was included in the report, which uses EPA data gathered from 2003 to 2005. Not every county received a grade, as some reported incomplete monitoring data or did not measure all of the forms of pollution studied.
“The good news is that there’s less ozone here and everywhere in the United States. Yet, we remain concerned because the science shows that millions are still at risk from ozone pollution,” said Tim Gerlach, ALAUM vice president for clean fuels and vehicle technologies. “We’re calling on local, state and federal governments to set tighter standards for ozone at levels that would protect public health. We are also asking private businesses and individuals to acknowledge their role in creating air pollution problems in our region, and offering suggestions on how to reduce air pollution, such as driving less, using cleaner-burning biofuels, or taking full advantage of mass transit when possible.”
The American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007 ranks cities and counties most polluted by ozone, 24-hour particle pollution, and annual particle pollution, and reports county-by-county populations at risk from unhealthful levels of the most dangerous forms of air pollution. Particle pollution is reported for both short-term (24-hour) periods and annual averages.
Several areas in the Upper Midwest stood out in the 2007 report:
— Only three cities made all three lists of cleanest cities in the
nation. Two are in the upper Midwest: Fargo, North Dakota and Rapid
City, South Dakota. Salinas, California, was the third city.
— Pollution from vehicle emissions can take the form of ozone and/or
particulate pollution. The upper Midwest is one of the few places where
some motorists can choose a less polluting alternative fuel such as E85
or biodiesel. More details on where these fuels can be found is
available online at http://www.cleanairchoice.org/.
— While Wisconsin had the most failing grades by county of any state in
the region, it also had more counties reporting (36) than any other
state. Twice as many Wisconsin counties earned an A or a B as failed in
the 2007 report. North Dakota, with eight counties reporting, received
straight A’s.
To see the grades for the air in your community in the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007 report and learn how you can protect yourself and your family from air pollution, go to http://www.lungusa.org/. While you’re there, you can send a message to the U.S. EPA to set more protective standards for ozone air pollutant.
About the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest
Comprised of six states — Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin — the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest has emerged as a vital force in meeting the lung health needs of an ever-changing, diverse population. By joining together, our six-state union enables us to share our knowledge, resources and expertise more efficiently and increases our capacity to deliver state-of-the-art quality asthma, tobacco, COPD and Clean Air Choice(TM) initiatives across the region. We are deeply committed to funding vital research on the causes of and the treatment for lung disease and are united in our hope, action and determination in creating a world with CURES … CLEAN AIR … and SMOKEFREE KIDS.
About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to http://www.lungusa.org/.
Source: American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest
