News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: American Lung Association of Arizona (520) 323-1812
Tucson, Arizona (April 29, 2009] — Arizona’s air quality scored mixed grades in the 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air report released today.
Tucson appears on two of the three lists of cleanest cities (short-term particle pollution and long-term particle pollution) while the Phoenix metro area lands at number nine of the Top 25 Most Ozone-Polluted Cities. Last year, the Phoenix metro area was number nineteen in the top 25 most ozone-polluted cities. In addition, the 2009 report ranks Tucson number six on the Top 25 Cleanest U.S. Cities for Long-term Particle Pollution list and Flagstaff ranked number nine. Five out of the eleven counties scored received an “F” for the number of unhealthy ozone days. Pinal County is the only county in Arizona that received an “F” both for high ozone days and particle pollution days.
Over the past decade, air pollution grades for Maricopa County have been steady with a failing grade. However, trend data shows that the weighted average of days spent in the unhealthy zones over a three year period have declined. The 2009 report shows a weighted average of 36.5 days while the report in 2002 showed our highest weighted average at 82.3 days (see attached trend chart). This marks the first time that Pima County has received an F grade for ozone pollution, based on the new ozone standard adopted in 2008. Pinal County, failing in all areas this year, received a “D” for High Ozone Days and an “A” for Particle Pollution last year. This is a wake-up call to Pinal County. With the new ozone standard in place we now know action needs to be taken to have healthier air in this county.
“Achieving and maintaining healthy air must be a public health priority, and we cannot relent on our work as a state and as individuals to keep our air clean,” said Corey Woods, American Lung Association Arizona Director of Government Relations. “Our failing grades in the ozone category means that the health and lives of more than 5,000,000 individuals in Arizona are at risk. Now is the time to step up our response. We must support common sense measures to reduce air pollution. Maricopa County must continue to place an emphasis on stabilizing unpaved roads and furthering the development of public transportation. Residents of Maricopa County can also play a big role in cleaning up our air by doing things such as not using leaf blowers or gas-powered lawn equipment and refueling their vehicles in the evening."
The State of the Air report includes a national air quality “report card” that assigns A-F grades to counties across the country and ranks cities and counties most affected by the three most widespread types of pollution (ozone—or smog, annual particle pollution, and 24-hour particle pollution levels) . The report also details trends for the 25 most polluted cities. Grades for the 1,000 counties with air pollution monitors can be found by typing in a zip code at www.stateoftheair.org.
Gila, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Yuma counties scored an “F” for ozone (smog) pollution, the most widespread form of air pollution. There were no “A’s” scored in the state of Arizona. Ozone pollution immediately irritates the lungs when inhaled, resulting in something like a bad sunburn The health effects of breathing it can be immediate. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks. Breathing ozone pollution can even shorten lives.
The ozone grades incorporate the new national air quality standard for ozone, adopted in March 2008. This standard recognizes that even lower levels of ozone can be more harmful than previously thought. “Pima, Pinal, and Yuma county’s dramatic grade change to an “F” for ozone pollution does not mean that the ozone levels have gotten worse from previous years,” explained Woods. “It does mean that now we recognize that the ozone we have is much more dangerous and we need to start now to clean up the sources.”
Pinal County is the only Arizona county that scored an “F” for 24-hour particle pollution levels. Gila and Pima counties both received an “A” in this category. All counties received a “pass” for annual particle pollution levels. Particle pollution is a toxic mix of soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. It is the most dangerous and deadly of the outdoor air pollutants that are widespread in America. Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of early death, heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits for asthma and cardiovascular disease. Particle pollution also affects how children’s lungs grow and function.
“Our top priority in Pinal County is addressing the issue of PM2.5 exceedances due to cattle feedlots near the air quality monitors,” Woods said. “Arizona residents can take steps to improve air quality, steps that can ultimately impact climate change as well. That includes driving less, not burning wood or trash and using less electricity.”
The American Lung Association’s State of the Air report finds that 6 out of 10 Americans--186.1 million people -- live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives. State of the Air 2009 acknowledges substantial progress against air pollution in many areas of the country, but finds nearly every major city still burdened by air pollution. Despite America’s growing “green” movement, the air in many cities became dirtier since the last report.
“This should be a wake up call, that we as a nation can no longer consider air pollution a nuisance but rather a major threat to human health,” Woods said. “When at least 5,000,000 Arizona residents and 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to affect how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem that must be addressed.”
The report finds that air pollution now hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major city, threatening people’s ability to breathe and placing lives at risk. Some of the biggest sources of air pollution, including power plants, old diesel engines, and ocean-going vessels, also worsen global warming.
“More than 175 million Americans, including those living in Arizona counties Gila, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Yuma live in areas with unhealthy smog levels—that’s 80 million more than we identified in last year’s report,” explained Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. “That higher number comes, in large part, because of the tighter ozone standard which let us know that more areas have unhealthy air. Yet, even that understates the problem. We at the American Lung Association believe that the new ozone standard is not yet strong enough to protect human health—an opinion shared by nearly all scientific experts.”
Emerging research has redefined the severity and immediate health impacts of particle and ozone pollution. New data show that women in their 50’s may be particularly threatened by air pollution. Diesel truck drivers and dockworkers who are forced to breathe exhaust on the job may face a greater risk of developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“The science is rock-solid. People are hurt by air pollution. Air pollution can harm even healthy adults, but it can threaten the lives of more vulnerable people such as infants and older adults,” said Charles Finch, D.O., FACOEP.
“We need to renew our commitment to providing healthy air for all our citizens—a commitment the United States made almost 40 years ago when Congress passed the Clean Air Act,” Connor said. “Even after four decades, we still have much work to do. America needs to cut emissions from big polluters like coal-fired power plants and ocean-going vessels. We need to fix old dirty diesel engines to make them cleaner and strengthen the ozone standards to better protect our health. We also need to improve the decaying infrastructure of air monitors. America now must enforce the laws that help us improve our nation’s air quality.”
Visit www.lungusa.org to see local air quality grades and to get involved by sending messages to Congress and Administration officials about taking action to protect the air we breathe.
About the American Lung Association: Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity and holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.lungusa.org.
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