April 29, 2004

Contact:
Andrew Weisser, (818) 703-6444
aweisser@earthlink.net
or your local American Lung Association
at (800) LUNG-USA. www.californialung.org

34 California Counties Flunk American Lung Association’s Annual Clean Air Test for Smog and First-Ever Tests for Particle Pollution

American Lung Association of California Fights Roll-Back of Federal Clean Air Act That Would Increase Pollution; 30.3 Million California Residents Threatened by Dangerous Particle Pollution Levels

View/Download the State of the Air Report 2004 report (with California data).
(1.1MB PDF - requires free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader)

Related Links: May is Clean Air Month | Action Alert: State of the Air 2004 e-Alert | Tips for Fighting Air Pollution in Your Community | Free Print Ads for Newspapers, Newsletters & Magazines | Cleaner Vehicles | More Clean Air Month Links: Kids Need Clean Air

Editor/Reporter Note: B-roll, print graphics and other story elements are available at www.thenewsmarket.com/ala.

Related news conferences in California will be held as follows:

• Fresno , 10 a.m. , Thursday, April 29, Fresno City College , outside the Student Union. Contact: Josette Merced Bello , 559.222.4800.
• Sacramento : 11 a.m. , Thursday, April 29. Contact: Kori Titus, 916.444.5864.
• San Diego Area: 11 a.m. , Thursday April 29, El Centro (Imperial County). Contact: Ross Porter 619.297.3901; Cell: 619.549.2793.
• San Francisco: 10:15 a.m. , Thursday, April 29, World Trade Club, 1 Ferry Plaza. Contact: Linda Weiner, 650.994.5864.

(EMBARGOED: April 29, 2004, Oakland, CA) Thirty-four of California’s 58 counties failed one or more of three clean air tests graded in the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2004 report released today, which details where and why high levels of microscopic, soot-like particles increase the risk of premature death for millions of people, including those with cardiovascular or lung disease. According to the report, 24.3 million people in California are at risk from ozone air pollution (smog), 30.3 million people in the state are at risk from short-term exposure to particle pollution, and 22.7 million Californians are at risk from year-round exposure to particle pollution levels. The complex and dangerous health effects of particle pollution were confirmed in a National Research Council report released in March 2004.

California counties receiving F grades are: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne and Ventura.

California has 10 to 13 of the most polluted counties on each list, usually ranking among the worst 10 counties in the nation for each pollutant. California counties among the nation’s top 25 most polluted on the three lists are (in alphabetical order): El Dorado, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Los Angeles, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura.

“This report is a wake-up call for Californians to realize that we are breathing unhealthy air in our own communities,” said John Balmes, MD, who serves on the American Lung Association of California’s Clean Air Technical Advisory Group and is division chief of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital. “The threat may be invisible to the human eye, but it is real and it can kill. This is why the American Lung Association is fighting to protect the Clean Air Act and oppose Bush Administration efforts to weaken it,” Balmes said.

For the first time, the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report uses data from a new, national air quality surveillance network to go beyond its traditional analysis of smog, or ozone air pollution, to include particle pollution. Produced by oil refineries and other large industries, diesel exhaust, agricultural and wood burning, among other sources, particle pollution can be dangerous when it reaches unhealthful levels over a few hours or a few days, as well as with constant daily exposure over a long period of time. The report issues county-by-county A through F grades for ozone and short-term particle pollution levels, and Pass/Fail grades for year-round particle pollution levels.

“Whether you live in a community with good air quality or poor air quality, we all must do our part to fight air pollution,” said Balmes. “Clean air is a regional issue because ozone and particle pollution drift into other areas creating secondhand smog. Choices made in one area affect the quality of air people breathe in other communities. Kids need more than car seats to protect them from the dangers posed by motor vehicles. Children are more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of ozone and particle pollution, so choosing a cleaner-fueled vehicle goes a long way toward protecting their health.”

The complete report for California can be found by visiting http://www.californialung.org.

Report Highlights: Public Health Implications: Particle pollution, complex microscopic bits that are one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, can cause serious health problems even at relatively low concentrations and are responsible for tens of thousands of premature deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the report.

“The dangerous thing about these fine particles is that they are smaller than the width of a human hair and tiny enough to penetrate the body’s natural defense systems,” said Balmes. “This means when you inhale these particles, they embed themselves deep in the lungs. Some may even pass through the lungs to the blood. Particle pollution is like an invisible army, wreaking havoc on your body through complicated mechanisms we’re still sorting out. Studies link particle pollution to increased risk of asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, lung cancer, and premature death, to name just a few of the ways this tiny army attacks.”

People with cardiovascular diseases, children and the elderly are most vulnerable to the health risks associated with particle pollution, as are tens of millions of people who suffer from chronic lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Specifically at risk are:

• The 5.9 million people with cardiovascular disease in California living with unhealthy short-term particle pollution levels. Even short-term exposure, several hours to several days, has been linked to premature death, heart attacks and stroke.
• The one million adults and 531,000 children with asthma in California exposed to unhealthy year-round particle levels; and
• The 956,000 with chronic bronchitis and 307,000 with emphysema living in California, which has dangerous short-term particle pollution.

According to the report:

• Twenty-eight percent (more than 81 million) of the U.S. population lives in areas with unhealthy short-term levels of particle pollution;
• Nearly one-quarter of Americans (66 million) live in areas with unhealthy year-round levels of particle pollution; and
• Nearly half of all Americans (136 million) live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone, despite substantial reductions in ozone in the thirty-four years spent fighting the problem.
• All totaled, some 159 million Americans live in counties with unhealthy levels of either ozone or short-term levels or year-round levels of particle pollution.
• Most alarmingly, 46 million Americans live in counties where all three levels are unhealthy.

How Air Quality is Measured: American Lung Association State of the Air: 2004 uses air quality measurements made by state and local agencies and reported to EPA for the years 2000 through 2002. Grades are based on how often air quality levels reach “unhealthful” amounts under EPA’s Air Quality Index for short-term levels of particle pollution and ozone. Pass/Fail grades for the year-round levels of particle pollution are based on EPA’s own analysis.

Administration Proposals Jeopardize Clean Air Act: Despite clear progress toward cleaner air over the past 30 years, the American Lung Association of California is greatly concerned about roadblocks including the Administration’s actions to roll back key provisions of the Clean Air Act and persistent delays in carrying out the existing provisions. Last year the EPA reversed, by regulation, a key provision of the Clean Air Act that required the nation’s oldest, dirtiest power plants and oil refineries to meet clean air standards. The American Lung Association sued to stop that rollback, and in a December 2003 DC Circuit Court ruling blocked EPA’s efforts until the court can hear the full case. The American Lung Association has successfully sued EPA to set schedules for ending the delays on other key provisions. The administration is also pursing legislation that would substantially weaken the Clean Air Act and delay required clean air progress. Also, this month Federal EPA released implementation guidelines for the new Federal eight-hour ozone standard that added years to the deadlines for reaching attainment and relieved pressure on existing non-attainment areas to meet previous one-hour ozone deadlines.

The American Lung Association of California has been working hard to reduce air pollution and protect children’s health by advocating for cleaner transportation alternatives, including cleaner fuels. The association has supported a variety of measures to reduce diesel emissions, including stronger statewide regulations on new and existing diesel engines and fuels, incentives for transitioning to cleaner technologies and idling restrictions for diesel school buses and other diesel vehicles.

Every Californian can make a difference in the fight against air pollution by driving less and making their next vehicle a cleaner-fueled one. Carpool, ride your bike and walk more, and take the train and bus whenever possible. Cleaner-fueled vehicles such as electric, natural gas, and hybrid electric emit fewer pollutants than conventional gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. Reduced purchase and rental rates are available on cleaner-fueled vehicles at the American Lung Association’s Web site through a partnership with EV Rental Cars.

Businesses, schools and other organizations can fight air pollution by encouraging carpooling and bicycling, offering incentives for using low-pollution forms of transportation, encouraging employees to telecommute whenever possible and purchasing company vehicles and buses powered by cleaner fuels. Governments can do their part by purchasing cleaner-fueled fleets and setting policies that encourage cleaner transportation options.

What Americans Can Do:To help Americans protect their health and reduce air pollution, the American Lung Association of California is issuing a “top 10 list” of “What You Can Do To Protect Yourself From Ozone and Particle Air Pollution,” with special guidelines for seniors and parents of small children. These simple and concrete action steps include avoiding exercising outside on high pollution days and not burning wood or trash. The American Lung Association of California also urges taking steps to help clean up the air, including carpooling and filling gas tanks after sundown, as well as supporting strong national, state, and local pollution control programs. For the full lists or to contact members of Congress to oppose efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act, including loopholes for polluting power plants that would undermine existing laws, individuals can log onto www.lungusa.org.

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The American Lung Association of California also offers print ads that provide health facts about diesel and tell Californians “There’s Even More You Should Know About Diesel.” They can be downloaded from the association’s Web site at http://californialung.org/spotlight/cleanair01_ads.html

For more information about Clean Air Month activities in your area, call your local American Lung Association at 1.800.LUNG.USA or visit www.californialung.org.