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Air Report Shows Continued Improvement, Remaining Challenges
Air quality in the United States maintained its steady improvement through
the year 2000, according to EPA's annual summary of air quality trends. This
trend toward cleaner air has continued since EPA's formation in 1970, while
during the same time, the gross domestic product increased 158 percent, miles
traveled by cars and trucks increased 143 percent, and energy consumption increased
by 45 percent.
"The Bush Administration is committed to building on the clean-air progress
of the last 30 years," EPA Administrator Christie Whitman said. "One way we're
going to accomplish this is to work with Congress on a proposal for multi-emissions
legislation that will further reduce air pollution from power plants while providing
that industry the flexibility it needs to produce clean, efficient energy. We
will also work with the states," said Whitman. "The National Governors Association
recently adopted a policy that is a remarkable step forward to reach national
consensus on this issue. EPA intends to follow the path toward common ground
identified by the nation's governors in their energy policy."
The NGA has called upon Congress to establish a flexible, market-based program
to significantly reduce and cap emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides
and mercury and provide market-based incentives such as emissions trading credits
to help achieve the required reductions.
This report focuses on national long-term trends in air pollution, not the
air quality status of individual cities. The report shows the following air
quality trends from 1991-2000 for the six major national air pollutants regulated
by EPA under the Clean Air Act:
- Lead concentrations decreased 50 percent;
- Carbon monoxide concentrations decreased 41 percent;
- Sulfur dioxide concentrations decreased 37 percent.
- Particulate matter concentrations decreased 19 percent;
- Nitrogen dioxide concentrations decreased 11 percent; and
- Smog (one- hour concentrations) decreased 10 percent.
Despite continuous air quality improvements, certain types of air pollution
continue to present a challenge for some areas of the country. Progress has
been slowest for smog and fine particles. While overall smog levels have decreased
in the past 10 years, amounts have increased in the southern and north-central
regions of the United States.
EPA has taken several steps this year toward cleaner air, including a rule
to reduce emissions from large trucks and buses, and sulfur levels in fuel.
The Agency also proposed a rule that will improve views in America's national
parks by controlling emissions from older power plants and industrial facilities
that contribute to haze. In addition, many private companies and other organizations
are working to effectively reduce their emissions in voluntary partnerships
through such programs as EPA's Energy Star consumer product labeling initiative
for energy efficiency.
Air pollution can cause a variety of health problems, from burning eyes and
irritated throats, to birth defects, brain and nerve impairment and long-term
damage to the lungs. Smog, for example, can irritate the respiratory system,
aggravate asthma and inflame the lining of the lung.
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