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Regional Analyses: Region 3 & 4
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Region 3
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia |
Region 3. The states in this Mid-Atlantic Region have continuing, serious problems with air pollution. Some of this problem blows in from other parts of the nation, but significant amounts are produced within the region. Charts in Appendix B describe the home-grown sources of pollution in the Mid-Atlantic.
All the region's cities appearing on the list of most-ozone-polluted cities have been on these lists in years past. The metropolitan area of Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD, ranked as the 11th most ozone-polluted city in the nation. Right behind it came Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV, tied for 12th worst with New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NYNJ- CT-PA, which also includes counties in this region. Two other Pennsylvania cities ranked on this infamous list: Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA, ranked 17th and Lancaster, PA, tied for 23rd. The Mid-Atlantic placed all or parts of 5 cities on the list of the 25 worst cities for ozone.
For the first ranking for worst cities in concentrations of particle pollution, this region appeared multiple times on both of the notorious lists. Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA, debuted at 4th worst on the short-term particle pollution list and 5th worst on the year-round list. Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, also appeared on both lists, ranking 13th worst on the year-round particle pollution list and 21st for the short-term. Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DCMD-VA-WV, was the third metropolitan area to make both lists, coming in as the 18th worst for short-term particle pollution levels and 21st for year-round levels. Other cities with serious year-round particle pollution problems in this region are Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH (number 22), and York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA, and Lancaster, PA, tied for 24th worst. On the list of cities with the worst short-term particle levels was also Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon, PA, ranked 23rd worst.
Delaware's entire population is living in areas graded F for ozone levels. Looking at the level of particle pollution only slightly improves things. New Castle County, which represents 63 percent of the population, failed both tests for particle pollution.
The District of Columbia, Maryland and Pennsylvania didn't fare much better with ozone levels. All areas reported scored Fs (except Lawrence County, PA, scoring a D). Those results show little change from the previous year. Lycoming County, PA, was notable for dropping two grades to an F from last year's C. In addition to the poor ozone score, Washington, DC had unhealthful grades for both short and year-round particle pollution, ranking 25th worst "county" in the nation for short-term particle pollution levels.
Maryland had three counties in the list of the most ozone-polluted counties in the nation: Harford County at 15th worst; Anne Arundel tied for 17th worst, and Cecil County ranked at 24th worst. Baltimore City ranked 23rd worst among counties with poor short-term particle levels.
Pennsylvania's Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, ranked 5th worst in the country for short-term particle levels and 7th worst for year-round levels.
Twenty counties were monitored in Virginia. Of the people residing in those counties, 95 percent of them live in areas scoring an F for ozone levels. Fairfax County represents one-third of the population in that group and reports the highest ozone levels in Virginia.
West Virginia's ozone pollution levels remained relatively the same compared to the previous year. However, with the new particle pollution rankings, several counties emerge among the worst counties for year-round particle pollution in the nation: Kanawha, at 19th worst, and Hancock, at 24th worst, both of which also received an F for ozone pollution.
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Region 4
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee |
Region 4. Ozone levels generally improved in the Southeast, but ozone remains a serious problem. Most states had multiple counties showing improvements in ozone. Some counties increased two grades such as Pinellas County, FL; Lee County, MS; and Davidson County, TN; and four counties in Kentucky. Trigg County, KY improved from an F to a B.
Region 4 still has improvements to make, however. Based on monitored counties, 90 percent of North Carolina's population is living in areas with an F rating for ozone. Georgia has 84 percent of its population in areas with an F. For Florida, that number drops to a mere 4 percent.
The Southeast remains too well represented on the list of cities with the most ozone pollution: Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN, ranks as the 9th most ozone-polluted city in the nation. Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC, and Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC, ranked numbers 14 and 16 in the list. Atlanta's ozone levels improved enough to drop it to the 21st spot on the list, as Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA. Morristown-Newport, TN, (formerly part of the Knoxville, TN, metropolitan area) emerged the first time on this list at 22nd worst. The last Southeast city on the list of most ozone-polluted cities is Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The Southeast scored 6 of the worst 25 spots.
Serious problems in the Southeast with both year-round and short-term particle pollution also show in the rankings. For year-round particle pollution, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA, begins as the 7th most polluted followed by Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL, at 9th worst, Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN, at 12th worst; and Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN, tied for 22nd with the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, metro area. Among the cities with the worst short-term particle problems, Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL emerges in a tie for the 6th most polluted city. Also on both lists is Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN, ranked 20th on the short-term list.
Most Alabama counties showed some improvement in grades for ozone compared with the 2003 report. However, Jefferson County, home to Birmingham, ranked as the 9th worst county for short-term particle pollution, and 12th worst for year-round levels.
Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina aced the particle pollution yearround and short-term-level test with almost every county earning a passing grade. As mentioned earlier, most of the counties with ozone monitors in Florida show few unhealthful days. Mississippi also had similar readings during this period. Twelve of South Carolina's counties received F grades for ozone.
Every county with complete data from their particle pollution monitors in Georgia failed the year-round test, showing chronically unhealthful levels of particle pollution. Georgia fared better on the short-term measure, with only two counties earning F grades. However, the best news for Georgia is that for the first time in these reports, Fulton County is not listed among the 25 most ozonepolluted counties in the nation, although it still earned an F grade. Unfortunately, Fulton County also ranked 10th worst in the country on the year-round particle pollution list.
Tennessee's ozone grades improved, as evidenced by Davidson County's rise to a C from an F. Sevier County ranks as the 11th most ozone-polluted county in the nation. For the first time in these reports, Nashville and Memphis dropped off the list of the most ozone-polluted cities. However, Knox County appeared as 15th worst among counties with year-round particle pollution.
Kentucky's Jefferson County tied for 25th worst in the nation on the shortterm particle pollution list.
Regional Analyses continued... |
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