If you live in an area that’s being pounded with spring pollen right now, you probably have a very personal understanding of the importance of air quality. As irritating as it is, though, pollen is both temporary and natural. Artificial air contaminants are much more concerning—the kind of contaminants that come from transportation, manufacturing, and energy plants such as coal production.
The Clean Air Act, passed in 1963 and strengthened by Amendments in 1970, 1977, and 1990, astonishingly did not limit carbon emissions from coal plants until recently. Carbon pollution creates smog, contributes to climate change, and causes numerous health problems.
In addition, several industries have been able to get away with violating the Clean Air Act because of budget shortfalls, loopholes in the system, and lax regulations for power plants. The Obama administration’s EPA is prioritizing air pollution and attempting to crack down on the worst offenders while tightening up regulations for new and existing power plants, but it’s an uphill battle, especially when state regulators balk at the federal government’s involvement. The EPA recently published a list of the worst violators in the country. Here’s who they are, and what’s finally being done to improve air quality for all of us:
Smokestack Industries
According to an investigation by NPR and the Center for Public Integrity, power plants, refineries, and chemical plants, are the biggest violators of the Clean Air Act. In fact, 1,600 plants across the U.S. have been called out by the EPA as being such major polluters they require urgent action. The shocking part of the report is that close to 300 of the worst plants have been on the “high priority violator” list for over a decade. Although the EPA estimates a 40% drop in toxic emissions from industrial facilities between 1990 and 2005, some communities are still engulfed in dangerous quantities of smog that pose a significant threat to the health of those who live there. Half of the plants on the EPA’s watch list for violators are located in just six states: Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
Poisoned Places
As part of their investigation, NPR and the Center for Public Integrity have created an interactive map of facilities across the country that emit hazardous air pollution. By entering your city or zip code, the map allows you to see specific facilities in your area and how badly they pollute the air. The map also indicates those plants that have a high-priority violator status. The vast majority of polluters are clustered throughout the upper Midwest and along the Atlantic seaboard, with relatively dense patches of super-polluters in California, Oregon, and Washington and parts of the South. The truth is, virtually nowhere in America is unaffected by air pollution.
Special Rules for Power Plants
Power plants, in particular, have been allowed to get away with murder—literally. U.S. power plants currently have no limits as to how much carbon dioxide they can spew into the air, despite reports from the American Lung Association (ALA) that pollution from power plants kills around 13,000 people per year.
Things are improving, however, with new EPA regulations that will limit the amount of carbon new power plants will be allowed to emit. Coal plants are the biggest sources of CO2 emissions in America, and the new regulations are specifically designed to dramatically reduce not only the massive amounts of carbon they emit, but also other toxic pollutants such as soot and mercury.
The Ten Most Polluted Cities
Unfortunately for people who live in or near the most polluted cities, the damage may have already been done—and it will take time for air quality to improve. According to the ALA’s report, “These people live in areas where chronic levels are regularly a threat to their health. Even when levels are fairly low, exposure to particles over time can increase risk of hospitalization for asthma, damage to the lungs and, significantly, increase the risk of premature death.” Climate change only increases the harmful effects of air pollution, so clean up efforts in these areas, in particular, is crucial. The top 10 most polluted metro areas from least to most polluted are:
• Modesto, CA
• Louisville-Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN
• Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN
• Birmingham-Hoover-Culman, AL
• Pittsburgh-Newcastle, PA
• Fresno-Madera, CA
• Hanford-Corcoran, CA
• Visalia-Porterville, CA
• Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA
• Bakersfield-Delano, CA
