No Escape: Can You Really Ever “Get Away” from

the Smog?
A Midsummer Look at Ozone Smog in 1999

SUMMARY
As we head into the final stretch of summer, there is “No Escape” from health-threatening ozone
smog. During August millions of Americans flee hot, congested urban areas for vacation spots to
breathe clean air and see the sights. Thousands of kids head for summer camps to enjoy nature
and have a healthy outdoor experience. However, whether you stay at home, head out to
favorite vacation spots, or go to summer camp, we face unhealthy ozone smog levels wherever
we turn.

Because of the increasing spread of the air pollution problem and the drift of air pollution on
wind currents, today many of the nation’s most popular summer destinations provide no refuge.
For example, you expect to breathe dirty air in places like New York City or Atlanta, Georgia but
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Jersey shore, and
Indiana Dunes are being hard hit as well. In some cases, the number of dirty air days is even
higher than the urban areas nearby.

With preliminary and incomplete data available, it appears that 32 states and the District of
Columbia have exceeded the 8-hour ozone standard on at least 85 days from April 1 to July 25.
The federal ozone standard has been exceeded 2,743 times over this period of time.

Last summer, the most recent year for which we have a complete set of summer ozone smog
data, Acadia National Park in downeast Maine over 280 miles from the nearest large city had a
similar number of ozone exceedence days as the Boston or New York metropolitan areas.
Moreover, looking at the U.S. Environmental Protection’s measure of whether air quality stan-
dards have been violated (i.e., the 4th highest eight-hour ozone average concentration), ozone
concentrations in Acadia at times are every bit as high as those in New York or Boston. Simi-
larly, residents of Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, and Chattanooga could not find refuge from
summer ozone levels in Great Smoky Mountains National Park where both the ozone level and
number of exceedence days matched that in those southeastern cities. In the Midwest, people
headed out from Chicago and Milwaukee to the Lake Michigan destinations of Indiana Dunes
and Door County, Wisconsin have also found unhealthy ozone levels waiting for them.
(See graph on next page.)

About midway through the summer, the national data indicates:

· 13 states have experienced 20 or more dirty air days this summer alone: Connecticut,
Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
· 10 states have exceeded the 8-hour standard more than 100 times: Indiana, Maryland,
Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wiscon-
sin.
· There have only been 14 days since May 1 when at least one state has not exceeded the 8-
hour ozone standard: 8 days in May, 2 days in June and 4 days in July so far.
· The one-hour ozone standard has been exceeded ___ times on ___ days this summer as well.
· So far, there are at least 6 more days of unhealthy air quality and 543 exceedances than this
point last year.

In short, ozone smog is likely everywhere you live, and everywhere you want to be. There is no
escaping the smog in large parts of the nation. The best way to reduce smog in vacation spots is
to reduce pollution in our urban areas and the less populated areas as well. We all need to work
together to reduce the threat of air pollution by cleaning up cars, trucks, fuels, and power plants,
the biggest sources of ozone smog. With national solutions, we can solve this national problem.
A Comparative Look at Ozone Exceedances Across the Nation

Door County/Newport State Park,

WI
Shirley Plantation/Williamsburg,
VA

Arlington Co./DC Suburb, VA

Salt Lake City, UT

Houston/Bayland Park, TX

Galveston, TX

Nashville, TN

Look Rock/Great Smoky Natl

Park, TN

Narragansett, RI

Philadelphia, PA

Bucks Co/Bristol, PA

Eastlake/Lake Erie, OH

Columbus, OH

Riverhead/Hamptons, NY

New York City/Trade Center, NY

Newark, NJ

Nacote Creek/Jersey Shore, NJ

Portsmouth, NH

Mt. Mitchell, NC

Charlotte, NC

Harbor Beach/Lake Huron, MI

Detroit, MI

MacFarland Hill/Acadia, ME

Kennebunkport, ME

Eastern Shore/Kent Co, MD

Baltimore City, MD

Truro/N. Cape Cod, MA

Boston, MA
 REGIONAL PROFILES OF AVAILABLE DATA
Although there are national tourist destinations, most people take advantage of a few days to get
away closer to home. We have highlighted population centers and vacation spots where there
were monitored ozone problems around the country in this section.

NEW ENGLAND

When most people think of New England, they think of quaint small town full of history, Boston,
Cape Cod and other coastal vacation spots from Connecticut to Maine. But most people do not
think of New England as the “end of the tailpipe” for smog in the East. In this region, the north-
ern tip of Cape Cod has had 11 unhealthy days, where as the heart of Boston had 4 days of dirty
air. The bucolic tip of the Berkshire Mountains in the center of Massachusetts were not much
cleaner, with 5 dirty days.

In Maine, with a total population of 1.2 million, one of the most sparsely populated states in the
East, vacation spots like Acadia National Park experienced ozone readings on par with Philadel-
phia. In the Rhode Island coastal town of Narragansett, there were 8 dirty days, 4 times more
than Providence. Even upstate Vermont has not escaped the dirty air this year.

The following chart highlights various population centers and vacation spots around the region:

B ennington, V T

P rovidence, RI

Narragansett, RI

Rye, NH

P ortsm outh, NH

Mt W ashington, NH

W are/Northampton, MA

Truro/N. C ape C od, MA

Newbury, MA

F airhaven/New B edford, M A

B oston, MA

MacF arland Hill/A cadia, ME

K ennebunkport, M E

C adillac M ountain/A cadia Natl

P ark, ME

New Haven, C T

Hartford, C T

Greenwich, C T

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

MID ATLANTIC
In addition to the risk to your lungs posed by
ozone while you are on vacation, to add insult to
The Mid-Atlantic is home to several of the top
injury the other pollutants that make up summer
population centers that are also top vacation
smog can spoinl the sights you came to see in the
spots: New York City, Philadelphia and
first place. Many of our national treasures become
Washington DC. The Chesapeake Bay and
shrouded in a veil of haze that forms from the
hundreds of miles of coastline in Delaware,
polluting sources that cause ozone. What a
New Jersey and Maryland that attract millions
difference a day makes! Here is the view from
of visitors each weekend. In addition, several
Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National
mountain chains snake through the region,
Park on a clear vs. polluted day. In addition to
including the Appalachians, Poconos, Catskills,
recording some of the highest ozone levels in the
and Alleghenys. Although densely populated,
eastern U.S., Acadia suffers too often from pollu-
New Jersey also has huge agricultural lands, as
tion that obscures its majestic vistas.
do Delaware and Maryland. On the western
edge of the region, the Great Lakes provide
another vacation destination.

But the smog has not discriminated between

the population centers and the vacation spots
here. Tony New York suburbs of Greenwich,
Connecticut and playground of the rich and
famous in the Hamptons have experienced as
many dirty days as parts of New York City.
Newark and the Jersey Shore have had the
same number of dirty air day this year, but
Newark doesn’t have a boardwalk. Amish
Country in Bucks County had twice as many
dirty days as Philadelphia. Annapolis had four
times as many bad air days than nearby Balti-
more. And the Eastern Shore of Maryland,
getaway for the Beltway’s Bandits, is just as
polluted as the hot air they’ve left behind.

Here are some highlights from around the region:

P i tts b u r g h , P A

P h i la d e lp h i a , P A

L i t t le B u f f a lo S t a t e P a r k , P A

H e rs h e y, P A

B u c k s C o / B r i s t o l, P A

S a r a to g a N a tl P a r k , N Y

R i v e r h e a d /H a m p to n s , N Y

N e w Y o r k C ity /T r a d e C e n te r ,
N Y

M t. N i n h a m , N Y

C h a ta u q u a , N Y

R u tg e r s U n i v e r s i ty , N J

N e w a rk , N J

N a c o te C r e e k /J e r s e y S h o r e , N J

C o lli e r s M i ll, N J

E a s te r n S h o r e /K e n t C o , M D

B a lt i m o r e C i t y , M D

A n n a p o li s , M D

M c M i lla n R e s e r v o i r , D C

L e w e s / D e la w a r e S h o r e , D E

B r a n d y w i n e S ta te P a r k , D E

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
 Visiting the Parks

Each year, nearly 30 million Americans take advantage of our national natural treasures by visiting National Parks and
Recreation Areas at least 100 miles from home. [FN: Travel Industry Association of America fast facts, www.tia.org]
While some of the parks are remote and clean, others are hard hit with smog. All of these parks are near monitors
highlighted in this report.

Acadia National Park 2.7 million

Cape Cod National Seashore 4.9 million
Great Smoky National Park 9.3 million
Shenandoah National Park 1.5 million
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 1.5 million
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area 3.4 million

Source: National Park Service1

MIDWEST

The Midwest is home to Small Town USA, but in addition to bucolic agricultural areas it is dotted
with major industrial cities. Many folks in the upper midwest spend their spare time recreating
on the thousands of lakes that bless Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan — swimiming, fishing
and paddling. People from the lower Midwest flock rivers for boating, waterskiing, and picnicing
. Home to many of the nation’s dirtiest power plants and highest ozone levels this summer, it is
difficult for Midwesterners to avoid high ozone levels anywhere.

Detroit has been hit the hardest, with three weeks of dirty air, or 21 days, but favorite getaways
along the Lake Huron shore have been not far behind with pollution levels at Harbor Beach.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore had higher pollution levels and more dirty days than India-
napolis. Chicago, the Windy City, is blowing its pollution across the region, bringing high smog
readings from Door County Wisconsin to Traverse City, Michigan making it hard to catch your
breath anywhere around Lake Michigan.

M i lw a u k e e / B a y s i d e , W I

H a r ri n g to n B e a c h , W I

D o o r C o u n ty /N e w p o r t S P , W I

C h a r le s t o n , W V

W a r r e n C o . /K i n g s Is la n d , O H

E a s t la k e / L a k e E r i e , O H

C o lu m b u s , O H

C le v e la n d , O H

C i n c i n n a ti , O H

M usk e g o n, M I

H o u g h to n L a k e , M I

H a r b o r B e a c h /L a k e H u r o n , M I

F r a n k f o r t, M I

D e tro i t, M I

P o t a t o C r e e k S t a te P a r k , IN

In d i a n a p o li s , IN

In d i a n a D u n e s N a tl L a k e s h o r e , IN

F t . W a y n e , IN

E v a n s v i lle , IN

Z i o n / Illi n o i s B e a c h S t a te P a r k , IL

J e r s e y v i lle / M a r q u e t te P a r k , IL

C h i c a g o /J a r d i n e , IL

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
SOUTHEAST

Southerners know how the beat the heat. in the summer, they retreat to the Appalachian moun-
tains, to the coast, or to local lakes and state parks to fish, swim, hike, and camp. Finding refuge
from summer smog, however, is more difficult. So far this summer, ozone has reached levels in
Great Smoky Mountains National Park greater than levels recorded in every southern city except
Atlanta, GA. When people leave Charlotte for the mountains, they are jumping from a fire into
the “Frying Pan” of smog.

Tennessee, cradle of the Blues, Rock and Roll and Country music, sends tourists in the Smoky
Mountains to sing a sad song about smog they thought they left behind. In historic Virginia,
George Washington’s Mount Vernon home as well as colonial Williamsburg are suffering in
pollution as great as our nation’s capital. Other southern tourist destinations did not fare much
better. So far, Shenandoah Valley National Park and even remote Mt. Mitchell, NC have had
peak ozone experiences in the mountains.

C o lu m b ia , S C

R a li e g h , N C

M t. M i t c h e ll, N C

C h a r lo t t e , N C

A s h v i lle / F r y i n g P a n , N C

T a m p a /S t. P e te , F L

S a r a s o ta , F L

M ia m i , F L

M a c o n , G A

A u g u s ta , G A

A tla n ta , G A

N a s h v i lle , T N

G r e a t S m o k y N P , T N

N a n c h e z , M S

S h i r le y P la n t a t i o n /
W i lli a m s b u r g , V A

H a m p to n /N e w p o r t/
V ir g i n i a B e a c h , V A

B ig M e a d o w s /
S h e n a n d o a h , V A

A le x a n d i a / M t . V e r n o n ,
V A

B ir m in g h a m , A L

0 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 4 0

WEST

The West is known for big wide open spaces, remote parks and booming cities. In fact, many
western cities are starting to feel the impact of sprawl and growth, and they want to get away
from it all. Luckily, there are still remote areas in the West that are not being clobbered by
ozone, but the cities, destinations in themselves, are paying the price of a growing popularity.

Salt Lake City, surrounded by mountains, is headed for LA-like smog conditions in the next 20
years and had ___ dirty days this year. Houston, second only to LA in population in the West, is
also home to chemical and refining industries, as well as lots of cars and oppressive heat that
require air conditioning and heavy energy use. While they have been blessed this year with
lower than usual smog levels, they still have had ___ dirty days in Houston. The gulf coast
Even Boulder, Colorado, the eco-topia college town at the foot of the Rockies, has been hit with
smog this year.

No data was available for several other Western smog centers, but that doesn’t mean that Phoe-
 nix is beating the smog. Las Vegas is gambling with its health, and Los Angeles is still the king of
smog, although it has made tremendous improvements over the past decades. Afternoon show-
ers in Seattle and Portland keep them relatively clear of smog, and Wyoming, Idaho, New
Mexico and Montana are still seeing big blue skies — for now.

S a lt L a k e C i ty ,
U T

B o u n t i f u l, U T

H o u s to n /D e e r
P a r k , T X
H o u s t o n / B a y la n d
P a r k , T X

G a lv e s t o n , T X

D a lla s , T X

T u ls a , O K

B o u ld e r , C O

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

NATIONAL SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE DATA

For this report, preliminary ozone data was collected from 32 states and the District of Columbia
that make information available to the public through websites and upon request. The data is not
final or binding, because it must still go through a process to verify the quality of the data,
however, this process takes several months. In fact, by the time the final and official data is
available to the public, it will be early spring 2000. Because ozone smog causes real and
substantial threats to public health and the environment, we have chosen to use available
unofficial data. While it is incomplete, it does show trends and a fairly accurate picture of the
problem in the states represented.

We would like to thank the states that make data readily available to the public because this
allows the public to take precaution when it matters most – when pollution levels are highest.
(For a list of websites and state contacts to get ozone information, see Appendix A.) More cities
and states have developed ozone forecasting and alert systems that make it easier to communi-
cate air quality to the public. EPA has revised the Air Quality Index and developed an ozone
mapping system that can be used by local news stations that shows the growth and movement of
ozone across the Eastern U.S. All these things have greatly improved public awareness of smog
and when and how to protect themselves and their families.

There are several states that are partially or not included in this report that have air quality
problems. California, the state that leads the nation in smog, is not accurately represented in this
report because they did not make information available in a timely manner. Partial data for San
Diego and Ventura are included in the report, however the areas with the most serious problems
are not included. The State of Nevada did provide information saying that no monitor in central
Nevada had exceeded the ozone standard, but it did not include data for the two most populous
and polluted cities in the state, Las Vegas and Reno, which have separate authority to collect
ozone data. Several Tennesee cities also have separate authority and did not submit information
by our deadline.

Other states suspected of exceeding the ozone standard in 1999 that are not included in this
report are Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Oregon. These states were contacted
but they did not provide sufficient data to the Clean Air Network by the deadline of the report.
Given past trends that suggest few if any ozone exceedances in the past, we did not contact
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wash-
ington, and Wyoming to provide data for this report.
The map below shows dirty air days between April 1 and July 25, 1999 in the 32 states and the
District of Columbia included in this report. There were 85 days in this period where at least one
state exceeded the federal 8-hour ozone standard. For most of the country, the ozone season
begins in April or May and continues through September or October. There were an additional 6
days before the reporting period that reported ozone exceedences.

There are 13 states that have experienced 20 or more days of dirty air, and the ozone season is
just about half over: They are: Pennsylvania (31 days), Michigan (29), Georgia (27), Ohio (26),
Maryland (26), North Carolina (26), New York (25), New Jersey (24), Tennessee (24), Kentucky
(23), Virginia (23), Connecticut (20), and Texas (20).

Dirty Air Days: Preliminary Data from 33 States

Dirty Air Days

21 + (11)
11 to 20 (10)
1 to 10 (12)

A summary grid of the available data is provided below. This table is based on the complete data
in Appendix B. It shows the number of times the ozone standard was exceeded in each state and
the date they occurred. In the collected data, states exceeded the 8-hour ozone standard 2744
times. Days when there were over 100 exceedances across the country include: May 29 (168
times), May 30 (197), June 9 (102), June 10 (118), July 15 (133), July 16 (196), and July 17 (118).
All but June 10 and July 15 were on weekends, when people are more likely to be outdoors and
actively exercising or working in the yard.

Summer Camp to Breathe Clean Air?

Summer is also the time of year young children head off to summer camps to recreate in the outdoors and experience a more
natural and healthy environment for a few weeks. Unfortunately, many rural summer camps may also be located in areas that
suffer from high ozone smog levels. Ironically, kids at summer camps have provided excellent case studies for examining the
health impacts of ozone pollution, since kids at camp are highly active and exposed to outdoor air constantly. Ozone levels can
be accurately measure at or near the camps.

In field studies, typically several times a day, children are asked to perform lung function tests called spyrometry (in essence,
measuring the speed and completeness of forced exhalation of air from the lungs). These studies show definite decreases in lung
function associated with exposure to ozone. For example, a 1997 study of the impact of air pollution on the lung health of
children attending an asthma camp in Connecticut found an association between increased daily maximum ozone concentrations
a decreased lung function. The study specifically found that kids with asthma attending the camp used their inhalers more often,
experienced a decrease in lung function, and had more respiratory symptoms when maximum air pollution levels reached 80
parts per billion. 2
OZONE SOURCES AND EFFECTS
Ozone is created in a complex chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) when baked in sunlight. The primary sources of NOx are: coal-fired
power plants, cars, trucks, industrial boilers and non-road engines such as boats, trains and
lawnmowers. The primary sources of VOCs are: solvents, paints, gasoline, and chemical
manufacturing.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a by-product of fossil fuel combustion. Burning coal, oil, gasoline,
and natural gas produce almost all of the nation’s NOx emissions. In 1996, on-road vehicles
(cars, trucks, and buses) made up the largest share of NOx emissions (30%), followed by electric-
ity-generating power plants (26%), other industrial fuel combustion and processes (23%), non-
road engines (boats, trains, construction and agricultural equipment) (19%), and miscellaneous
sources (6%). 3

Volatile organic compounds, or hydrocarbons are emitted both through combustion of fuel and
evaporation of fuel and solvents used in industrial and manufacturing processes. In 1996, solvent
use in industrial and small business processes made up the largest share of the VOC emissions
nationwide (34%), followed by on-road vehicles (cars, trucks, and buses) (27%), other industrial
processes (17%), non-road engines (boats, trains, construction and agricultural equipment)(13%),
fuel combustion (4%), and miscellaneous sources (5%). 4

The final ingredient needed to create ozone is hot, sunny weather that bakes the NOx and VOCs
and creates the photochemcial reactions that yield ozone smog. In order to reduce ozone levels,
we have to reduce precursor pollutants, because we have no control over the weather.

When the heat is on, but not the smog

The summer of 1999 has been one of the hottest summers on record. There have been record temperatures and energy use
across the Eastern United States. Although there have been more areas exceeding the ozone standard this summer than in other
summers, some hot days have ozone alerts predicted and others do not.

There are other factors that affect ozone besides sunny heat. If the wind is blowing too hard or the humidity is too high or low,
ozone formation does not occur as frequently. If there are late afternoon rainshowers, which can wash the bad air away, there
may be six, but not eight, hours of poor air quality, which are needed to exceed an 8-hour ozone standard. A high pressure
system above an area can put it in a death-hold for ozone, but if the high pressure system is over the ocean, the region can
escape some of the smog formation.

Why is the Eastern U.S. hit so hard with smog, but the West and Plains states seem to escape most of the smog? Another factor in
ozone formation is population density and the transport of pollution from one area to another. In the Eastern U.S., small towns
and big cities are in relative close proximity, whereas in the West, population centers are surrounded by vast sparsely populated
areas. More wind and less humidity play a role in lower ozone levels, as well as topography. Salt Lake City, which is sur-
rounded by mountains, traps ozone, whereas Denver’s air can blow over the plains and get dispersed more.

Smog Impacts on Health and Environment

Health Effects
Ozone is a powerful lung irritant that has a cumulative impact on the body. It is especially
dangerous to children, the elderly, people with asthma and other lung diseases, and people who
work and exercise outside. The American Lung Association has estimated that there are ____
million children under 14 and ___ million seniors over 65 that live in areas that have violated the
8-hour ozone standard between 1995 and 1997. In addition, there are ____ people with asthma
and ____ with chronic lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis and pneumo-
nia.
· Ozone is an intensely irritating gas, and it is damaging to the lungs. A powerful oxidant,
ozone is capable of destroying organic matter – including human lung and airway tissue; it
essentially burns through cell walls. 5

· Chronic effects:

First, continuing exposure and increasing cell injury cause the smallest airways in the lungs
to become damaged – much as they do as a result of cigarette smoking. Tissues in the walls
of airways become inflamed and swollen; eventually areas of scarring develop. As the
damage increases, breathing capacity is diminished.

Second, the defensive role of the lungs is affected, most likely due to injury and destruction
of specialized lung cells whose task is to expel foreign intruders such as invading bacteria
and other disease-causing organisms. 6

· Acute effects:

Elevated ozone levels are correlated with increased numbers of hospital admissions and visits
to emergency rooms for asthma and other respiratory problems.7 Studies conducted in the
Northeastern United States and Canada show that ozone is associated with 10-20 percent of
all summertime respiratory-related hospital admissions. People with respiratory disease such
as asthma can experience reductions in lung function and increased respiratory symptoms,
such as chest pain and cough, when exposed to relatively low ozone levels during periods of
moderate exertion. Even normal healthy people exercising in ozone levels below the level of
the one-hour ozone standard (120 ppb) for six or seven hours experience significantly
reduced lung function and inflammation (often with such symptoms as chest pain, conges-
tion, and coughing). 8

Youngsters are of particular concern because they breathe in more air per pound of body
weight, spend more time out of doors, and are less likely to recognize warning symptoms. 9
A number of studies on children at summer camps have established that exposures to levels
of ozone below the one-hour standard reduced lung function. Studies of effects on children
indicate that at fairly low exposures (90 ppb for 1 hour), the majority (or 51%) of children
will experience mild to moderate respiratory effects, such as increased cough and shortness
of breath. Another 13% of the children will experience moderate to severe respiratory
effects, including increased cough and breathing distress. Finally, another 1% of the children
will suffer incapacitating respiratory effects and will be forced to stop their activities. 10

· Epidemiologic studies have consistently shown the number of asthma attacks to increase with
acute ozone exposures. The reported percent increases in asthma attacks vary widely from
study to study (20% to 120%), but even the lowest estimate, 20%, is substantial.11

· There is increasing evidence that injury caused by ambient levels of ozone may be more
closely related to cumulative dose (total resulting from continued or repeated exposures over
time) than to the peak value. 12

Environmental Effects of Ozone

Ground-level ozone is also one of the most pervasive and detrimental pollutants known to affect
vegetation, and is responsible for 90 percent of all air pollution damage to crops. It interferes
with photosynthesis and there is no known safe level below which detrimental effects do not
occur. Annual crop loss from ozone alone in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio has been calculated to
fall between $199-346 million. Loss of growth and yield for the six major commodity crops in
the Southeast (sorghum, cotton, wheat, corn, peanuts, and soybeans) are costing farmers from
$213-353 million annually. 13
Ozone damages the leaves of many plants and trees and, under controlled experiments, has been
demonstrated to decrease growth in sensitive species. Models have shown that at current ozone
levels, wood growth in Northeastern forests is being reduced by over 10 percent. 14

Not all oxides of nitrogen form ozone. There are other ways that these emissions can harm our
environment as well. Nitrogen deposition into watersheds contributes to the over-fertilization of
coastal and estuary water systems. Too much nitrogen in these water bodies results in increased
algae growth, which limits the oxygen available to sustain fish and other aquatic life. Although
contribution from the air varies from place to place, according to EPA’s Great Waters Report, an
estimated 27 percent of nitrogen entering the Chesapeake Bay can be attributed to air emis-
sions.15

Nitrogen deposition can also over-fertilize the land. When this happens, the nitrogen is no
longer able to be stored in the soil and used by plants. Instead, it leaches into ground and surface
waters. Tree health can be adversely affected when the soil becomes saturated with nitrogen.

Nitrogen oxides are also a precursor to nitrates, a major component of acid deposition (often
called acid rain), that damage both land and water systems. In many acid-sensitive streams and
lakes in eastern North America, high acidity has resulted in the loss of numerous fish and aquatic
species. Acid deposition strips soils of plant nutrients and frees up aluminum, which is toxic to
both plant and animal life. The highest nitrate deposition in the U.S. occurs in a 500-mile swath
from southern Illinois through northern New York. 16

NATIONAL SOLUTIONS TO CLEAN UP SMOG

CLEANER POWER PLANTS:
Coal-fired power plants are the single largest industrial contributor to the nation’s ozone smog
woes. To add insult to injury, they enjoy a loophole in the Clean Air Act that allows older plants
to avoid cleaning up to the standards met by new plants today. As a result, many plants are
between 30-50 years old, and are 4-10 times dirtier than a new plant built today. While we think
of electricity as clean energy, most of the electricity in the U.S. is generated from burning coal.

In fact, in 1997 the dirtiest 559 power plants emitted 5.9 million tons of NOx. All of these plants
have been exempt from making clean air improvements through a loophole in the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1977. If all these plants met the standards in place for new power plants, while
running at the same capacity, 4.2 million tons, or 71% of the current NOx pollution would be
avoided. 17 Power plants emit 26% of the nation’s nitrogen oxides, second only to cars and
trucks.

IMPACT OF THE DC CIRCUIT ON OZONE PROGRESS

In May, the DC Circuit remanded the 8-hour ozone standard, telling EPA that although they recognized the public health
threat posed by ozone, that EPA should defend the level it set and the criteria. EPA is appealing the decision, but in the
meantime, will be collecting data from states so that it can make determinations of which areas do not meet the 8-hour
ozone standard based on 3 years of monitoring data.

During the summer of 1998, EPA issued its regional summer ozone smog rule calling for 22 eastern states to reduce the
ozone transported beyond their borders to surrounding states. The plan would reduce summertime nitrogen oxide
emissions by more than one million tons per year. The states of Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio,
South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia have sued EPA to overturn the order. In light of the remand of the air
quality standards, these states recently convinced a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to
delay implementation of the plan until the merits of the other case is decided. At best, this will delay action to clean up
the air under this plan by at least one year. However, EPA has indicated its intention to move forward with alternative
plans to force reductions in power plant NOx.
CLEANER CARS AND FUELS

Cars and light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles and pick-ups) are the largest polluters
contributing the ozone smog. Although cars have gotten significantly cleaner in the past 30
years, trucks have lagged behind. In addition, most of the air improvements have been canceled
out by more than 120% increase in the number of miles Americans drive each year since 1970.

In May 1999, EPA proposed a comprehensive plan to reduce tailpipe emissions from cars and
light trucks, including minivans, sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks by 70-90%. It also
proposed to reduce the sulfur in gasoline by over 90%. The proposal is a good step in the right
direction and will help all areas of the country combat smog, as well as other pollutants associ-
ated with tailpipe and fuel emissions. The program will be finalized in December 1999, and will
take effect beginning in 2004. In the meantime, automakers will be making interim steps to
clean up cars, beginning in 2001. Hopefully, EPA will retain the strong proposal and not bow to
oil and auto industry pressure to weaken the plan.

CLEANER TRUCKS

EPA will also propose tighter regulations for big diesel trucks this year that will also take effect in
2004. They will consider whether to reduce the sulfur in diesel fuel as well, but the fuel and
tailpipe programs are not integrated as they are in the car proposal, and may occur on slightly
different timelines that will prevent deep reductions in diesel emissions in the near future.

Both of these programs would bring big relief to cities and rural areas plagued with ozone smog,
as well as reducing fine particle pollution and toxic air pollution.

CONCLUSION
There is no escaping air pollution. The vacation destination you are heading to may be as dirty
or even dirtier than the city you are leaving behind. We need to continue to make progress on
cleaning up air pollution, especially ozone smog because millions of Americans are at risk.
footnote:
1. National Park visitorship numbers
(source National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/planning/mgm/ These are annual figures, but
the bulk of them come in the summer.

2. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 1997 February; 155 (2): 654-660.
See also, Raizenne, ME, Burnett, RT, Stern, B., et al. (1988). Acute lung function responses to
ambient acid aerosols exposures in Children. Environ. Health Perspect.. 79: 179-185; Spektor,
DM, Lippman, M, Lioy PJ et al. (1988a). Effects of ambient ozone on respiratory function in
active, normal children. Am Rev. Respir. Dis. 137: 313-320.; Bock, N., Lippman, M. Lioy, P et al.
(1985). The effects of ozone on the pulmonary function of children. In: Lee, SD, ed. Evaluation
of the Scientific Basis for Ozone/Oxidant Standards. Air Pollution Control Association, Pitts-
burgh, PA 197-308.]]

3. [U.S. EPA, National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report 1997.]

4. [U.S. EPA, National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report 1997.]

5. [Health Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution, (ALA 1996)].

6. [Harder, SD, Harris DT, House D Koren HS. “Inhibition of Human Natural Killer Cell Activity
by Exposure to Ozone.” Inhal Toxicol 1990:2:161-73] Susceptibility to infection is increased.
[Fact Sheet: EPA’s Proposal on the Ozone Standard U.S. EPA November 29, 1996)].

7. Weisel, CP, Cody RP, Levy PJ. “Relationship Between Summertime Ambient Ozone Levels
and Emergency Department Visits for Asthma in Central New Jersey.” Environ Health Perspect
1995; 103 (suppl. 2):97:102.

8. [U.S. EPA, OAQPS. National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report 1993. Research
Triangle Park: EPA, 1994. Doc. No. EPA 454/R-94-026 pp. 9, 43.].

9. [ALA report]

10. Kinney PL, Ware, JH, Spengler, JD; Dockery, DW, Speizer, FE, Ferris Jr., BG. (1989) Short-
term Pulmonary Function Change in Association with Ozone Levels. Am. Rev. Resp. Disease.
139:56-61. Lippman, M (1989) Health Effects of Ozone: A Critical Review. J. Air Poll. Control
Assoc. 39 (No. 5): 672-695.

11. [Holquin, AH, Buffler, PA, Contant, CF (1985). The effects of ozone on asthmatics in the
Houston area. In: Lee, SD ed. Evaluation of the scientific basis for ozone/oxidant standards. Air
Pollution Control Association, 250-261. Whittemore, AS, Korn EL (1980). Asthma and air
pollution in the Los Angeles area. Am J. Public Health 70: 687-696.]

12. Devlin, RB, McDonnell WF, Mann R, Becker S, House DE, Schreinemachers D, Koren HS.
“Exposure of Humans to Ambient Levels of Ozone for 6.6 Hours Causes Cellular and Biochemi-
cal Changes in the Lung.” Am J. Respir. Cell Mole. Biol. 1991; 4:72-81. Chang L, Miller FJ,
Ultman, et al. “Alveolar Epithelial Cell Injuries by Subchronic Exposure to Low Concentrations of
Ozone Correlated with Cumulative Exposure.” Toxicaology and Applied Pharmacology 1991.
109:219-34.]

13. [Production and yield figures come from the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Ozone impact data come from the U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Staff
Paper, Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, EPA-452/R-96-007.]
14. [Ollinger, Scott, John Aber and Peter Reich. Simulating ozone effects on forest productivity:
Interactions among leaf-, canopy-, and stand-level processes. Ecological Applications. 1997
7(4) 1237-1251.

15. [U.S. EPA, Deposition of Air Pollutants to the Great Waters, June 1997, p. 142.]

16. National Atmospheric Deposition Program, 1997 Wet Deposition/National Trends Network.]

17. [EPA Acid Rain Database.]

18.