American Lung Association of Arizona

Arizona Gets Mixed Grades in Annual American Lung Association Report Card

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Arizona got a mixed report card for outdoor air pollution from the American Lung Association, where Maricopa County continued to experience problems with ozone pollution contrasted with continued success in Northern and Southern parts of the state, such as Pima and Coconino counties, that rank amongst the cleanest in the country when graded on particle pollution. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale landed on the 25 most ozone-polluted cities list, ranking #19 as the nation’s most polluted city for ozone pollution. This rank is down from #15 in last year’s report.

The American Lung Association State of the Air 2008 included the residents of Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale in its finding that 125 million Americans live in areas with dangerous air pollution levels, and warned that the trends show air pollution levels stalling at levels that are still dangerous to millions. This is true for the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area which actually shows a downward trend in number of days spent over the unhealthful level for ozone but still can’t seem to lower the amount of those unhealthful days to less than 3 and therefore continues to receive an “F” from the American Lung Association. (See attached chart). Positive, consistent trending is seen is Arizona counties and cities that remain on the “cleanest in the nation” list. Pima and Coconino Counties are on the list of Top 25 Cleanest Counties for Long Term Particle Pollution. Tucson is the 6th Cleanest City in the country for long term particle pollution and Flagstaff ranks #7.

Unhealthful levels of ozone create serious, even life-threatening risks for many people, including children, teens and seniors, and people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

“Both our local scores and the national trends tell us that we have more work to do to protect our families and our neighbors from dangerous air pollution,” said Bill Pfeifer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of Arizona. “Maricopa County residents are not yet breathing air that’s clean enough to be safe. Our State of the Air 2008 report proves that we can cut air pollution. We need to continue the actions that have led us to see a downward trend in the number of unhealthful days. We can’t stop and settle for where we are now.”

The State of the Air 2008 grades show similar results compared to the 2007 report, demonstrating Arizona’s role in the stalled levels as concluded by State of the Air 2008. The American Lung Association report used air pollution data from 2004-2006, collected by state air pollution control agencies and reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The American Lung Association State of the Air 2008 ranks cities and counties most polluted by ozone (smog), short-term and year-round levels of particle pollution (soot, dust, and aerosols), which are the most widespread and dangerous forms of air pollution. Counties are graded A through F for each category. The report also shows trends in air pollution for ten years for the 25 most-polluted cities.

Pittsburgh moved to the top of the list of cities most polluted by short-term levels of particle pollution, a deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that can spike dangerously for hours to weeks on end. The body’s natural defenses, coughing and sneezing, fail to keep these microscopic particles from burrowing deep within the lungs, triggering serious problems such as breathing, asthma and heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and even early death. Pittsburgh also ranks second on the list of cities with the most year-round particle pollution while Los Angeles again claims the first spot this year.

Los Angeles, despite being ranked atop two of the three most-polluted lists, saw continued improvements in air quality, dropping its year-round particle pollution levels by nearly one-third during the last decade, and saw solid improvement in levels of ozone or “smog,” a gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors emitted when motor vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Ozone irritates the respiratory tract and causes health problems like asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing, chest pain and even premature death.

“The air quality in several cities has improved, but in others, declines in pollution have stalled. The trends tell us loud and clear that we need to do more to protect Americans from breathing air that’s simply hazardous to their health,” said Bernadette Toomey, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Lung Association. “We applaud the aggressive efforts of Los Angles to control particle pollution. It’s proof that making a commitment to clean up pays off.”

Several cities across the country lost footing and slipped closer to the top of the list of most ozone-polluted cities, including San Diego, Atlanta, Charlotte and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metro area. Birmingham, Alabama, joined the list for the very first time, ranking at number 22 of most ozone-polluted cities, while the five worst cities on this list actually saw modest improvements. Fresno, California, for example, experienced a remarkable decline in the number of high ozone days since its peak in 2001-2003.

Due to the lead time for the State of the Air report, the American Lung Association used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 1997 standard for ozone levels rather than the new tighter standard announced on March 12, 2008.

“If we were to measure the number of unhealthy days against the new ozone standard, it would show that ozone pollution is worse than the report indicates,” said Ms. Toomey. “Even with these stricter ozone standards, Americans are being denied the health protection they deserve under the Clean Air Act.”

In realizing the standards for ozone levels have tightened and there is proof that making a commitment to clean up pays off, the American Lung Association of Arizona is excited about steps already being taken to ensure that Maricopa County does not stall its progress but will continue to see a downward trend in unhealthful days. Some notable contributions to Maricopa County’s cleaner air are:

The City of Phoenix recently purchased new Liquefied Natural Gas Vehicles and limited the purchase of diesel buses to just 30% of its fleet.
Sky Harbor Airport requires taxi fleets and shared ride vans to operate clean burning Compressed Natural Gas vehicles that lower air pollution.
Regional Public Transportation Authority operates more than 100 transit buses that run on Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas.
The City of Tempe operates over 100 transit buses that operate on Liquefied Natural Gas.
Maricopa County spent over $2.5M in public outreach and education on particulate pollution, created and revised 11 dust control rules and ordinances, added inspection staff to help enforce compliance with the rules, and provided education and training to dust control permit holders, subcontractors and even water truck/water pull drivers.
The City of Goodyear instituted an off-highway vehicle ban.

“While we can boast many clean areas in Arizona, we must remember that not everyone is breathing clean or healthy air,” Pfeifer said. ”Americans are left with unacceptable air quality proven to make even the healthiest people sick. Every American deserves protection. Every effort will get us closer to breathing the healthy air we deserve.”

For local and state-by-state details included in the American Lung Association State of the Air 2008 report and to learn how you can protect yourself and your family from air pollution, go to www.lungusa.org. While you’re there, you can send a message to members of Congress to urge them to keep the Clean Air Act strong.

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 www.lungusa.org.