The American Lung Association calls it a “grim indication of the deterioration of air quality nationwide”: Bangor, Maine, is the final city standing on all three of its “cleanest cities” lists.
Bangor has zero days of unhealthy ozone and short-term particle air pollution, and a few of the lowest year-round concentrations of harmful particle air pollution in the nation, based on the affiliation.
Typically, the affiliation’s annual “State of the Air” report has at the least one different city making all three lists. In some years, it’s had a number of. But this 12 months’s report, printed Wednesday, has the Queen City of the East – residence of horror creator Stephen King and the legendary birthplace of lumberjack Paul Bunyan – standing alone.
The nation’s air high quality is harmful for hundreds of thousands of Americans, the report says. Nearly half the inhabitants – about 152 million people – breathes unhealthy air and lives in a county that the affiliation provides a failing grade for air air pollution.
About 32.9 million people dwell in counties with failing grades for all three air pollution measures, and people of coloration are greater than twice as possible as White people to dwell in a neighborhood with a failing grade on all three.
Ozone and particle air pollution are thought of two of the most widespread and harmful pollution measured by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA defines particulate matter – additionally referred to as particle air pollution or soot – as a mixture of stable and liquid droplets that float in the air. It can are available in the type of dust, mud or smoke. Coal- and pure gas-fired energy vegetation create it, as do vehicles, agriculture, unpaved roads, development websites and wildfires.
Particle air pollution threatens human well being as a result of it’s so tiny – a fraction of the width of a human hair – and might journey previous the physique’s regular defenses. When an individual breathes these particles, they will get caught in the lungs and transfer into the bloodstream, inflicting irritation and irritation.
Even in the brief time period, particle air pollution publicity may cause respiration issues or set off a heart attack. Particle air pollution can be thought of a big consider premature death round the world, based on the World Health Organization. Exposure can increase the danger of situations like certain cancers, stroke, asthma, preterm births, dementia, depression and anxiety.
Ozone pollution, additionally referred to as smog, is the presence of ground-level ozone that kinds when chemical substances like nitrogen oxides and unstable organics from electrical utilities, automotive exhaust, gasoline vapors, industrial amenities and chemical solvents react to daylight.
Exposure to ozone air pollution may cause asthma attacks and chest pain in the brief time period. Long-term publicity can even trigger decreased lung function and premature death.
The knowledge in the new report comes from 2022-24, the newest out there from the EPA. Ozone air pollution affected extra people in the US on this 12 months’s report than in the earlier 5. Levels of particle air pollution confirmed some enchancment, however teams uncovered to excessive ranges of this air pollution confronted a lot increased ranges than in the previous.
Los Angeles stays the worst in the nation for ozone air pollution, because it has been in all however one of the 27 years of the report. Bakersfield, California, has the worst year-round particle air pollution for the seventh 12 months in a row, however it improved this 12 months when it comes to short-term particle air pollution. Now Fairbanks, Alaska, is ranked as worst on the short-term particle air pollution listing.
Bangor earned an “A” for ozone and short-term particle air pollution publicity and got here in tenth on the listing of 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle ranges. Bozeman, Montana, took the prime spot there this 12 months.
The final time solely one city made the three clean-air lists was 2012, when Santa Fe-Espanola, New Mexico, was named the prime city. In 2022, 10 cities made the lists.
‘An important part of our brand’
Bangor’s presence on the cleanest air lists for a number of years has been an actual promoting level for city, based on Anne Krieg, the city’s director of neighborhood & financial improvement division.
“We’ve heard many people say that they’ve read that Bangor has the cleanest air, and ‘I want to be there for that,’ ” Krieg mentioned. “It’s healthy, and there’s a good outdoor environment. It’s really an important part of our brand. You can have a city life but also have access to clean air. Not a lot of cities do.”
Just a few components set the city’s air other than a lot of the remainder of the nation, mentioned Dr. Jean MacRae, an associate professor who teaches a course in air air pollution and stable waste at the University of Maine’s College of Engineering and Computing.
The space advantages from climate methods, a excessive focus of forest land that filters the air, a long way from polluting industries and a inhabitants of solely about 33,000, so there aren’t as many vehicles on the highway.
“Sometimes, bad air comes up the coast, so the southern part of the state sees some of that,” MacRae mentioned.
Maine itself has been referred to as the “Tailpipe of the Nation” since air pollution from energy vegetation and automotive producers in the Midwest and from Northeastern states would drift towards it, however “air pollution controls have really reduced that over time,” MacRae mentioned.
In truth, two US senators from Maine are credited with ushering in a few of the nation’s most vital air air pollution laws.
Sen. Edmund Muskie championed the Clean Air Act of 1970, which created the first federal limits on air pollution and launched the EPA. Sen. George J. Mitchell helped create the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment that required states meet air high quality objectives and tightened automotive and truck emission requirements.
The success of these protections is threatened below the Trump administration, based on Will Barrett, the assistant vice chairman of nationwide clear air advocacy with the American Lung Association.
“Significant rollbacks to our critical life-saving clean air rules are well underway because this EPA is moving away from their public health mission,” Barrett mentioned.
The administration has undertaken what the EPA referred to as the “biggest deregulatory action in US history,” reconsidering laws on energy vegetation, the oil and gasoline trade, mercury and poisonous air requirements, the greenhouse gasoline reporting program and curbs on automotive and truck air pollution.
The local weather disaster additionally makes it harder to breathe clear air. Extreme warmth, wildfire smoke and drought all make air air pollution worse. “All of that really speaks to the need for strong progressive policies,” Barrett mentioned.
Krieg says hotter temperatures have, nevertheless, benefited her city at the least in one manner: driving an inflow of latest residents from states like Texas who’re searching for a spot with a extra temperate local weather and cleaner air.
“Maine is gorgeous for that,” she mentioned.