American Lung Association Air Quality Report Shows Mixed Results in Inland Empire

Recently the American Lung Association released State of the Air 2015, an annual report on air quality which lists both the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country. Although Inland Empire cities remain on the top of the list for ozone pollution, the region saw its fewest unhealthy ozone days since the release of the first State of the Air report. The findings reinforce the importance of local and state clean air laws as well as initiatives that help reduce diesel emissions and promote cleaner vehicles to protect public health. “The State of the Air report shows that progress has been made on reducing air pollution, but we must increase our efforts to cut pollution that continues to put lives at risk throughout the Inland Empire,” said Dr. Hassan Bencheqroun, a Riverside pulmonologist and volunteer physician for the American Lung Association in California. Covering air pollution data collected in 2011 to 2013, this year’s report shows significant signs of progress in reducing ozone and particle pollution in the Inland Empire. Unhealthy ozone days in San Bernardino County have fallen by 38 percent, and unhealthy spikes in particle pollution have decreased by 92 percent over the years of the State of the Air report. Additionally, unhealthy ozone days in Riverside County went down to 97 days in this year’s report – the first time the county has seen less than 100 unhealthy ozone days since reporting began. Particle pollution remains a difficult challenge in Riverside County, which saw a slight increase in unhealthy particle pollution days over the past year’s report. Specifically, of the top ten cities with the worst air pollution, California municipalities rank as follows: Ozone Pollution: 6 out of the Top 10; Short-Term Particle Pollution: 6 out of the Top 10; and Annual Particle Pollution: 7 out of the Top 10. #1 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside #1 Fresno-Madera #1 Fresno-Madera #2 Visalia-Porterville-Hanford #2 Bakersfield #2 Bakersfield #3 Bakersfield #3 Visalia-Porterville, Hanford #3 Visalia-Porterville-Hanford #4 Fresno-Madera #4 Modesto-Merced #4 Modesto-Merced #5 Sacramento-Roseville #5 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside #5 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside #8 Modesto-Merced #6 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland-Stockton #6 El Centro #7 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland-Stockton Unfortunately, drought weather conditions, combined with ongoing diesel and wood smoke pollution challenges contributed to higher particle pollution in many regions of the state, including the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Climate change is a growing threat to air quality and this year, the American Lung Association in California launched our Doctors for Climate Health campaign to highlight the critical health impacts of climate pollution on our health today as well as for future generations of Californians. California’s pollution problems are primarily caused by emissions from transportation sources, including cars, diesel trucks and buses, locomotives, ships and agricultural equipment, and other sources including oil refineries, manufacturing plants, residential wood burning and wildfires. The weather conditions, heat and geography in California facilitate smog and soot formation. In the Inland region, transportation accounts for the vast majority of pollution. “Reducing pollution will only become more challenging because climate change increases the risk for ozone and particle pollution, and makes cleaning up the air harder in the future,” said Dr. Bencheqroun. “We need stronger air quality standards to limit pollution to protect our health today and that of future generations.” While all communities are at risk due to unhealthy air, it is important to note that some Inland Empire communities face higher risks due to their proximity to freeways, rail yards, freight corridors and other local pollution sources. Lower income communities and communities of color often bear the burdens caused by these local air pollution sources. The lung association promotes equity in addressing clean air and climate impacts to ensure that all communities in California can breathe healthy air. The American Lung Association in California calls for several steps to safeguard the air everyone breathes: ·Support California’s healthy air and climate leadership (SB 350 and SB 32). Senate Bill 350 (de Leon and Leno) sets important new targets for petroleum reduction, clean, renewable power and energy efficiency. SB 32 (Pavley) sets mid-term and long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals to continue California’s leadership in cutting harmful pollutants that threaten public health, delay air quality progress and contribute to climate change. ·Expand cap and trade investments to reduce traffic and freight pollution. California is currently investing cap and trade funding to promote zero emission and near-zero emission solutions for cars, trucks, buses, freight transport and other mobile sources in all communities, but more is needed. Given the additional funding available this year, the legislature should increase funding for low-carbon transportation, cleaner freight and healthier communities that support transit and active transportation. ·EPA must adopt strong final carbon pollution standards. The EPA needs to issue tough final standards to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, and strengthen the limits on the ozone and particle pollution that blow across state lines. ·Protect the Clean Air Act. Congress needs to ensure that the protections under the Clean Air Act remain effective and enforced. The Clean Air Act is a critical public health law. ·Strengthen the outdated ozone standards. The EPA must adopt an up-to-date ozone limit that follows the current health science and the law to protect human health. Stronger standards will drive much needed cleanup of ozone pollution across the nation and support the need for faster clean air progress in California. “Everyone has the right to breathe healthy air and too many residents are at greater risk for lung cancer, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature deaths,” said Dr. Bencheqroun. “We must continue California’s clean air and climate leadership to cut pollution so everyone can breathe clean and healthy air.”