EMBARGOED UNTIL:
5 a.m. (EDT), April 25, 2012
CONTACT:
Deborah Brown
President & CEO
dbrown@lunginfo.org
(610) 563-6992
Kevin M. Stewart
Director, Environmental Health
(717) 541-5864 x56 or
(717) 330-1790 (cell)
kstewart@lunginfo.org
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Charleston Air is Best Ever in ALA’s State of the Air Report
Kanawha County Air Pollution Levels Show Strong Improvement over Last Year
Previous Year’s “F’s” Become This Year’s “C’s”
National Ranks Improve for Ozone, Daily and Annual Particle Pollution
Area Receives “Pass” for Annual Particle Pollution for Second Year,
But Level is High Enough to Rank Charleston 17th Worst City in Nation for This Pollutant
Editors’ Note: Trend charts and rankings for metropolitan areas and county grades are available at
www.stateoftheair.org.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. [Embargoed Until: 5 a.m. (EDT), April 25, 2012] — The American Lung Association’s
State of the Air 2012 report finds that air pollution levels in the Charleston metro area are the best ever
recorded since the organization’s first annual report 12 years ago.
Even at a time when air quality has generally improved nationwide, Charleston’s ranking among over 200 U. S.
cities improved for all measures of pollution: In ozone (smog), the area went from 80th to 114th worst and for
daily particle pollution (soot), from 43rd to 80th worst. Although the metro area remained on the “25 Most
Polluted” list for average annual particle pollution, Charleston’s rank improved, going from 12th to 17th worst
in the U.S.
Since monitoring for air pollution is not conducted in Boone, Clay, Lincoln, and Putnam counties, the only
results for the Charleston metro area were obtained in Kanawha County. Its grade for ozone pollution
improved from an “F” to a “C,” as did its grade for daily (short-term) particle pollution. The county averaged
only one bad air day a year for the latter pollutant in the 2008-2010 period, the report’s years of
measurement. In year-round particle pollution, Kanawha County received a “Pass” grade.
“State of the Air shows that we’re making steady progress in cutting dangerous pollution from the air as a
result of cleanup efforts required under the Clean Air Act,” said Deb Brown, president and CEO of the
American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic. “But millions of Americans across the country, including the
residents of the Charleston metro area, are still forced to breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution as a result
of air quality standards that are outdated.”
The report details the trend that standards set under the Clean Air Act to cleanup major air pollution
sources—including coal-fired power plants, diesel engines, and SUVs—are working to drastically cut ozone and
particle pollution from the air. Despite the improvements, the job of cleaning the air is not finished. More than
40 percent of people in the United States live in areas where air pollution continues to threaten their health.
That means more than 127 million people are living in counties with dangerous levels of either ozone or
particle pollution that can cause wheezing and coughing, asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death.
Those at greatest risk from air pollution include infants, children, older adults, anyone with lung diseases like
asthma, people with heart disease or diabetes, people with low incomes and anyone who works or exercises
outdoors.
“Particle pollution can be deadly,” said Kevin M. Stewart, director of environmental health of the American
Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic. “When you breathe particle pollution, you are inhaling a toxic mix of
chemicals, metals, aerosols, ash, and diesel exhaust. It can cause asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes,
emergency room visits and even premature death. There is absolutely no question regarding the need to
protect public health from particle pollution.”
Ozone (smog), the most widespread air pollutant, is created by the reaction of sunlight on emissions from
vehicles and other sources. “When ozone is inhaled, it irritates the lungs, like a bad sunburn,” says Stewart. “It
can cause immediate health problems and continue days later. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing, asthma
attacks and premature death.”
Although air quality improvements clearly result from standards put into place under the Clean Air Act, big
polluters and some members of Congress continue to propose to dismantle the law. Recent proposals in the
Congress have included delaying implementation and blocking enforcement of parts of the law, and limiting
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to consider all of the scientific evidence regarding the
harm to public health. These challenges come despite EPA’s estimate that cutting air pollution through the
Clean Air Act will prevent at least 230,000 deaths and save $2 trillion annually by 2020.
“Dangerous and potentially deadly levels of smog and particle pollution continue to affect public health,” said
Brown. “Cleanups have resulted in healthier air to breathe in other parts of the country, but people in the
Charleston area and more than 40 percent of our nation are still breathing dangerously polluted air. We must
continue to fight for clean air and demand the full implementation of the Clean Air Act.”
The American people support the need for stricter limits on air pollution standards and the authority of the
EPA to enforce these standards. A recent bipartisan survey found that about two-thirds of voters (66 percent)
favor the EPA updating air pollution standards by setting stricter limits. Nearly three quarters (73 percent) of
voters believe the nation does not have to choose between air quality and a strong economy.
State of the Air 2012 grades cities and counties based, in part, on the color-coded Air Quality Index developed
by the EPA to alert the public to daily unhealthy air conditions. The 13 th annual report uses the most recent,
quality-controlled EPA data collected from 2008 through 2010 from official monitors for ozone and particle
pollution, the two most widespread types of air pollution. Counties are graded for ozone, year-round particle
pollution and short-term particle pollution levels. The report also uses EPA’s calculations for year-round
particle levels.
The American Lung Association in West Virginia urges the public to join the fight for clean air and to learn how
to protect themselves and their families from air pollution by visiting www.stateoftheair.org.
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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
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Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit
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