Utah Moms for Clean Air

Green? Magenta? 24-hour averages? Air quality data is constantly being updated online from a few stations around the state, and with a little orientation we each can get the information we want and make sense of it.

There are two websites that provide current information on air quality in our area, one sponsored by the Utah Department of Air Quality and the other by the EPA. The DAQ website provides both straightforward interpretations of air conditions and, if you dig, the most technical information if you would like to become handy at predicting air quality and health hazards for yourself. The EPA also uses data collected by the DAQ and displays a simplified readout as well as some specific pollutant levels, but processes the data by a different formula.

The DAQ Website, www.airquality.utah.gov
The welcome page at the DAQ shows an overall prediction for how severe the air pollution is for the next three days, ranked as Green, Yellow, or Red. This is the simplest digest of the pollution hazard level for our area, but it’s only as accurate as the weather information it’s based on. (When the weather report says it’s raining today, it’s probably right! Tomorrow, well, you know how it goes.) Once at the site, you may choose your favorite Wasatch Front region. Utah has its own color coding for air quality conditions: 0 – 24 micrograms/cubic meter concentration of PM2.5 is considered Green, 25 – 34 ug/m3 is Yellow, and 35+ ug/m3 is Red. As you may guess, the cutoffs are somewhat arbitrary and subject to change—and the more studies reveal about the hazards of breathing air pollution, the lower those cutoffs will get shifted.

The “Current Conditions” button brings you to a thermometer-type readout of the current levels of whichever air pollutant is prevalent (usually PM2.5 in the winter and ozone in the summer.) This is a 1-hr average readout, and is updated hourly. The live photo is cool. If you want to know what you’re breathing when you open the door right now, this is your number. Check your nearest skyline to see what this pollution level looks like!

The “Trends” button is for you data heads. Graphs showing the levels of 3 criteria pollutants, PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the last 5 days let you see the daily rise and fall over time of day and weather patterns. For two of the pollutants there is a second data line, of 8-hr and 24-hr averages (for ozone and PM2.5, respectively) that is simply the average of the 1-hr numbers from the previous 8 or 24 hours. The 8-hr and 24-hr averages are important for two reasons: one, the longer averages say more about our overall exposure to the pollutant, and two, averages are what get evaluated by the EPA, with vast financial and legal ramifications for the State if we are in “non-attainment” too often.

The EPA Website, www.airnow.gov
Lastly, the EPA uses a numerical Air Quality Index, or AQI, that is derived from the longer average level of each pollutant. For example, you can see EPA’s assessment of Salt Lake City. The number, which is NOT the actual concentration of any one pollutant, corresponds to a Life Saver color describing grades of health hazard (as described here.) The AQI is meant to give you a standardized estimate of the day’s health risk regardless of the actual pollutant, so the scale is the same in winter (PM season) and summer (ozone season). Since the EPA gets its data from our own DAQ, the only difference is interpretation.

Salt Lake Tribune editorial Saturday sees weak changes in emissions standards from EPA as business as usual from officials who have “chewed up scientific studies and spit out ridiculous regulations that benefit industrial polluters and resource extraction industries at the expense of the environment, wildlife and public health.”

“After all,” they write,

the failure to mandate more stringent standards amounts to a death sentence for thousands of Americans.

Read more:

• “Smoke screen: New federal ozone standard falls short,” Tribune Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, March 14, 2008.

A Salt Lake Tribune editorial this week focused on coal-fired power plants, including opposition in central and southern Utah.

Even if the folks in Utah don’t take a dim view of these plants - they provide high-paying jobs, taxes and electric power, after all - our neighbors in Colorado, Kansas and points east should. That’s the thing about air. Everybody’s downwind of somebody else.

When the external costs of coal are considered, coal is not so cheap after all.

The Tribune called for the Utah Legislature and Governor to create higher air-quality standards for electric utilities.

Read more:

• “We’re all downwind: Conventional coal power means smoke,” Tribune Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, March 13, 2008.

In a week of Environmental Protection Agency announcements, new emissions standards announced for train and marine diesel engines.

New federal emissions standards announced Friday targeting locomotive and marine diesel engines is expected to impact rail operations in Utah, where coal is hauled weekly by train between mines and power plants.

“This is one of the last remaining sources of pollution that needed to be regulated,” said Cheryl Heying, director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s air quality division. “They’ve been dragging their feet — this is something we’ve been looking forward to.”

Long term, Heying added, the new emissions will be a good idea, but she is hesitant to offer further comment until the Environmental Protection Agency posts more details about an implementation time line and logistics.

Read more:

• “EPA targets trains, marine engines with new diesel emissions rule,” Stephen Speckman, Deseret Morning News, March 14, 2008.

Utah Moms for Clean Air is extremely disappointed with the EPA’s new ozone standard. In spite of overwhelming scientific evidence and the unanimous advice of its own expert panel to set a more stringent standard, the EPA chose to do otherwise. According to the Clean Air Act, the EPA’s sole consideration in setting air quality standards is the protection of the public’s health. The EPA has acted in blatant disregard of this mandate and the new standard fails to go far enough to protect the public, especially our children and those who are predisposed to respiratory illnesses.

Last summer, members of Utah Moms for Clean Air, educated hundreds of Utah’s citizens about Utah’s ozone problem, how it impacts their health, and what they can do about it. As ozone season approaches, we are readying ourselves to do this again. Yet, no matter how hard we work at educating the public, it will never be enough. Today, we needed the support of the federal government to provide an ozone standard that adequately protects the public’s health. Unfortunately, they failed us. During the recent 2008 Session of the Utah Legislature, we saw our State’s Representatives and Senators take it upon themselves to craft legislation in areas inadequately addressed by federal law. Utah Moms for Clean Air would like to call upon our State’s lawmakers to do the same in 2009, this time focusing on cleaning up our air.

Michelle Hoffman, MD, MPH
Utah Moms for Clean Air Co-Founder

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Press Release from American Academy of Pediatrics
March 12, 2008

EPA’S NEW OZONE STANDARD STILL LEAVES CHILDREN’S HEALTH AT RISK
Statement by American Academy of Pediatrics President Renée R. Jenkins, MD, FAAP

“The Environmental Protection Agency has missed a real opportunity to protect children’s health with today’s decision to reduce the ozone standard from its current 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to 0.075 ppm. While any reduction in air pollution is a step in the right direction, EPA’s new ozone standard—the first in a decade—fails to go far enough.

“The science is clear: Ozone pollution harms children. Critical parts of a child’s lungs don’t develop until after birth and the lungs continue to develop well into adolescence. In addition, children breathe in more air pollution than adults simply by the fact that children breathe at a more rapid rate, spend more time outdoors and have higher levels of physical activity than adults. Ozone exposure can cause short-term health problems including shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, coughing and inflammation of the lungs, and has been linked to such chronic health problems as asthma.

“The AAP, along with other health and environmental experts—including the EPA’s own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee—had urged the EPA to lower the ozone standard to below 0.070 ppm at least, and preferably to 0.060 ppm. That would have, in effect, required cities across America to scrub pollutants out of the air and provide a healthier environment for children of all ages, ranging from infants with barely developed lungs taking their first breath to adolescents competing in sports.

“Our children deserve clean air. The AAP, which represents 60,000 pediatricians, will continue to advocate for lower air pollution standards so we can give our children a healthy start and a healthy future.”

# # #

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

Contact:
Macon Morehouse (202-724-3303; mmorehouse@aap.org)
Priscilla Ring (202-724-3304; pring@aap.org)

The EPA has announced tighter standards for ground-level ozone, the primary constituent of Utah’s summertime air pollution.

“The old standard was 80 ppb, and all Utah communities barely met it.” This means the six counties that make up urban Utah will have to work harder to meet the standard.

For the health of all Utahns, let’s thank those who do work hard to meet the standard, and let’s work to tighten the standard even further.

Lowering the ozone standard to 75 ppb would prevent up to 1,100 premature deaths a year, avert 1,400 nonfatal heart attacks and eliminate 5,600 hospital and emergency room visits, the agency estimated.

But health advocates and the EPA’s own science advisory panel suggested even tougher limits - from 60 ppb to 70 ppb.

Utah Moms for Clean Air, a year-old advocacy group, was among those who urged Johnson to adopt the 60 ppb standard.

“Today, we needed the support of the federal government to provide an ozone standard that adequately protects the public’s health,” said Michelle Hofmann, a physician and co-founder of Utah Moms. “Unfortunately, they failed us.”

Read more:

• “Revised smog rules put six Utah counties in air pollution spotlight,” Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune, March 13, 2008.

Also read:

• “Air standards violated: Utah County is among 6 that could lose fed funds,” Stephen Speckman, Deseret News, March 13, 2008.

Utahns have been well-aware of mercury in our water and air since methylmercury levels in the Great Salt Lake shocked us all in 2004.

Methylmercury is the toxic form of mercury after it has been biologically transformed. It poses a public health risk, especially to children and unborn babies.

A neurotoxin, it builds up in the food chain and attacks the neurological system, causing retardation in the unborn and learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children. Humans are exposed most commonly by eating contaminated flesh, usually fish.

Utah has consumption warnings for several fish statewide and four duck species on the Great Salt Lake. Idaho has similar warnings.

Now, we are seeing action by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection to shut down Nevada gold-ore plants until they can remove mercury from their emissions.

“This is a bold action they’ve taken,” said Cheryl Heying, director of the Utah Department of Air Quality. “It shows they have teeth, and they can bare them.”

Read more:

• “Utahns praises closure of mercury-spewing Nevada plant,” Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune, March 13, 2008.

Dear Moms and all Utahns for Clean Air,

What’s more important than voting on November 4th? Attending your political party caucus or mass meeting on March 25th!

Party caucuses are not just for political junkies. In fact, that is where an ordinary person’s vote can make the most impact. By attending those important initial meetings, you can help ensure candidates representing you and your values make it on the ballot in November.

Join Utah Moms for Clean Air, Utahns for Public Schools, and several other Utah non-profits for a tutorial on getting involved in the Republican caucuses and Democratic mass meetings. Participating non-profits will also give briefings on key issues in the upcoming state elections—everything from air quality and the environment to education to healthcare.

There will be three informational sessions and trainings in Salt Lake County:

Thursday, March 6th, 6:30-8:00 pm
South Jordan Library, 10673 S Redwood Rd

Tuesday, March 11th, 6:30-8:00 pm*
West Valley Cultural Center, 1355 W 3100 S
*Spanish and English sessions available

Thursday, March 13th. 6:00-7:30 pm (space is limited)
Health & Wellness Building, Westminster College
1840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City

As Governor Jon Huntsman said in his 2008 State of the State Address, “The power of our state comes from people who are concerned about their government. Government is a personal responsibility. You are the greatest safeguard against depersonalized government and the antidote to apathy.” At mass meetings, caucuses and party conventions, priorities are set and candidates are chosen. This is where we as a people determine the future direction of our communities.

These decisions should not be left to small minorities and factions within parties to decide. It should be a process engaged in by the public. With so many important issues at stake in this upcoming election, including moving our state towards cleaner air, we need candidates on the ballot who can lead us in the right direction. Please take this opportunity to get involved in the political process.

For more information about caucuses, check out Utahns for Public Schools’ website.

Thanks for working for clean air!

— Cherise, Dana, Cameron, Travis, Michelle, Pat, Deborah, Lori, and Jennifer
The Founders of Utah Moms for Clean Air