May 1, 2008

Contact:
- Andy Weisser, 818-703-6444, aweisser@alac.org

Air Pollution: 26 California Counties Still Fail, 19 Counties Receive "A" Grades in American Lung Association's Annual Nationwide State of the Air Clean Air Test

State of the Air 2008
Take Action: Help Eliminate Diesel Pollution at the Ports!

Policy Initiatives and Community-Based Efforts Have More Work to Do

(Los Angeles, CA , Embargoed Until 12:01 a.m. (eastern), May 1, 2008 ) For the first time, a city outside of California tops one of the most polluted lists in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air: 2008 report released today. But overall, in a 2008 mixed report card, California cities and counties continue to dominate the list of places nationwide with the worst air pollution – highlighting the ongoing importance of the report’s focus on protecting the air we breathe.

Pittsburgh overtook Los Angeles as the most polluted city for short-term particle pollution (soot). Although Los Angeles stayed ranked atop the other two pollution lists (year-round particle pollution and ozone pollution, or smog), it saw ongoing improvements in air quality, cutting its year-round particle pollution by about one-third since the 2004 report. It also saw improvements in levels of ozone pollution, with the weighted average number of days each year with unhealthy levels of ozone dropping by 13 (103.3 to 90.3) from the 2007 to the 2008 report.

Statewide, 26 of California ’s 52 counties with air quality monitoring stations received failing grades for either high ozone days or particle pollution days. In alphabetical order, they are Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tulare and Ventura.

Nineteen counties received an "A" grade for either high ozone days or particle pollution days, with some of these receiving an F in one category but an A in another. The A grade recipients for at least one category, in alphabetical order, are Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma.

Madera , Santa Barbara , Tuolumne and Shasta counties all improved their high ozone day grades from last year’s report, while Humboldt, Plumas and Ventura counties improved their particle pollution day grades.

Of the 25 nationwide counties most polluted by ozone, 12 are in California . Ten of the 25 counties most polluted by short-term particle pollution are in the state, as are seven of the 25 counties most polluted by long-term particle pollution. In addition, California includes 10 of the 25 most ozone-polluted cities, eight of the 25 cities most polluted by short-term particle pollution, and five of the 25 cities most polluted by year-round particle pollution.

In good news, Fresno , though still No. 5 on the ozone list, experienced a remarkable decline in the number of high ozone days since its peak in 2001-2003. Merced (now No. 17 on the ozone list compared to No. 6 last year) and Modesto (now No. 21 on the ozone list compared to No. 13 last year) also greatly improved their ozone rankings. In addition, Salinas ranks on the list of the top 25 cleanest cities for all three pollution categories.

"We see improvements in some areas of the state, but the levels of ozone and particle pollution in California remain dangerously high; improvements do not mean the problem is solved," said Gwendolyn W. Young, board chair of the American Lung Association of California. "Both our California scores and the national trends tell us loud and clear that we have more work to do – including ensuring the protection of the Clean Air Act – to prevent our families and neighbors from breathing air that’s simply hazardous to our health."

Unhealthful levels of both ozone and particle pollution 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. Ozone, commonly called smog, is a powerful gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors when vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Particle pollution refers to the deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that enter the air from fossil fuel burning, wood smoke and agricultural burning.

"When you think of the impact of ozone on our respiratory tracts, imagine putting acid right in your eye. It’s that corrosive," said Tony Gerber, MD, an American Lung Association of California volunteer and a pulmonary specialist and assistant professor at the University of California , San Francisco. "This corrosiveness causes severe irritation and leads to problems like asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing, chest pain and even death."

Gerber also explained, "Particle pollution chokes our lungs, creating what’s like a clogged home air filter that you haven’t cleaned in years. The body’s natural defenses can’t keep these microscopic particles from burrowing deep in the lungs, and the particles then trigger breathing problems, asthma attacks, strokes, lung cancer and also even early death."

Besides threatening health, ozone and particle pollution also contribute to global warming – with rising temperatures in turn expected to increase pollution and related threats to lung health.

Gerber added, "Reducing air pollution should concern all Californians, even in cleaner cities and counties, because air pollution travels. This ‘second-hand’ smog drifts into other communities and creates further adverse health impacts. The bottom line is that air pollution hurts our lungs and makes us sick."

Lung Association Addresses Air Pollution Solutions

American Lung Association of California Board Chair Young said that to ensure progress toward healthier air, Congress must keep the Clean Air Act intact – given proposed changes to diminish it – and California must address diesel pollution in the state.

"We must not weaken decades-old protections in the Clean Air Act, which serves as a safety net for our lungs. Without a continued strong safety net in place, we risk falling back and losing the air quality gains we have made."

On the diesel front, the American Lung Association of California encourages the state’s leaders to continue placing a high priority on reducing dangerous diesel exhaust emissions from trucks, buses and port operations.

The organization urges the California Air Resources Board to develop and adopt this year a strong on-road diesel truck and bus rule to dramatically reduce exposure to toxic diesel soot and improve public health. Diesel trucks and buses are the largest source of diesel particulate pollution in the state, responsible for approximately 39 percent of diesel particulate pollution and 40 percent of nitrogen oxide pollution from diesel sources. An on-road diesel truck and bus rule alone could prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses.

Also, the American Lung Association of California strongly urges adoption this year of State Sen. Alan Lowenthal’s (D-Long Beach) SB 974, the Port Investment Bill, to raise container fees at ports to provide ongoing funds to reduce diesel emissions at the ports and in nearby communities. Without measures like SB 974, ports and freight transport emissions will continue to grow and these operations eventually could produce more diesel soot than all passenger vehicles, off-road equipment and stationary sources combined.

To protect children’s health, given their particular vulnerability to diesel emissions, Young said that more funds are needed to supplement existing Proposition 1B bond funds to replace and retrofit 20- and 30-year-old school buses. The American Lung Association of California further advocates that California push to rapidly deploy funding available through Proposition 1B bond funds and other sources to replace and retrofit diesel equipment and vehicles, especially those involved in freight movement, a sector responsible for a majority of the state’s diesel emissions and that contributes to approximately 2,400 premature deaths each year.

Individuals can make their voices heard with elected officials on these key air quality issues by joining the American Lung Association of California’s Advocacy Network. Sign up at www.californialung.org. Individuals also can make a difference by using the following tips to help fight air pollution and protect everyone’s lungs:

• Switch to cleaner-fueled vehicles, like natural gas and hybrid electric-gasoline.
• Use public transit, plus bike, walk and/or carpool whenever possible.
• Maintain your vehicle properly.
• Don’t top off the tank when refueling, and fill up the gas tank after dark, when the sun won’t turn the gasoline emissions into ozone.
• Use hand-powered or electric lawn care equipment rather than gasoline-powered versions.
• Turn out the lights when they’re not needed and use energy-efficient appliances to reduce the need for electricity generation.

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air: 2008 report used the most current quality-assured air pollution data from 2004-2006, collected by state air pollution control agencies and reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Due to the lead time required for the report, the American Lung Association used the EPA’s 1997 standard for ozone levels rather than the new tighter standard announced on March 12, 2008 .

Overall, the report finds that 42 percent of people in the United States live in counties with unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution. If the number of unhealthy days was measured against the new ozone standard, it would show that ozone pollution is worse than what the report indicates.

To see the grades for air quality in specific communities and learn how to protect yourself and your family from air pollution, visit www.stateoftheair.org. For more information, contact your local American Lung Association or speak with a nurse or respiratory therapist at no charge through the free Lung HelpLine at 1.800.LUNG.USA (1.800.586.4872), or visit www.californialung.org.

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.