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National and Regional Analysis cont'd
Regional Analysis
Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virgina, West Virginia
The Mid-Atlantic region had seven cities or parts of cities on the list of 25 cities most polluted by short-term particles: Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA ranked 4th; Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV ranked 12th; Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH ranked 17th; Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PANJ-DE-MD ranked 20th; Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ ranked 22nd; Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon, PA ranked 24th; and the Pennsylvania suburbs of the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA metro area ranked at 25th. The Mid-Atlantic has had historic problems with air pollutants blown in from outside the region, added to locally developed pollution. This region was second only to the California-dominated Region 9 in the number of metropolitan areas ranked as among the most polluted by particle pollution and tied for second with the upper Midwest (Region 5) for ozone.
Six cities or parts of cities in this region are also on the list of most ozone-polluted. Topping this region’s list is New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA, ranked 9 th; followed by Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD at 10th; and Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV in 11th place. Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA ranks 17th followed by Youngstown-Warren-East Liverpool, OH-PA at 18th. Rounding out the list of most ozone-polluted is Lancaster, PA in 25th place.
Seven cities or parts of cities from the Mid-Atlantic rank in the 25 th worst for year-round particle pollution as well. Headed by Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA at 4th worst, the list includes: Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH tied at 10th; the Pennsylvania suburbs of the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA metro area at tied at 12th; Charleston, WV at 17th; Lancaster, PA and York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA tied for 18th and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH tied for 24th.
Delaware and the District of Columbia had a slight improvement in the number of unhealthful days for ozone and slightly more unhealthful days for particle pollution during 2001-2003 over 2000-2002. None of the changes were substantial enough to shift their grades. The District of Columbia also saw its short-term particle pollution levels drop enough that it slipped off the list of worst "counties" in that category. There were no changes in their grades for year-round particle pollution. One county in Delaware and the District of Columbia monitored unhealthful levels year-round of particle pollution.
In Maryland, Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County reduced their short-term particle pollution levels enough to improve their grades. However, Baltimore City, MD, ranked as the 16th most polluted county by short-term particle pollution. Maryland also has two of the 25 most ozone-polluted counties in the nation: Harford County, ranked 17th and Anne Arundel, ranked 19th. Fortunately, ozone levels in Cecil County, MD improved enough to knock that county off the list of 25 most ozone-polluted counties. Three counties in Maryland had unhealthful levels year-round of particle pollution.
Year-round particle pollution remained a problem in Pennsylvania, which landed three counties on the list of those experiencing the worst levels: Allegheny County ranked 6 th; while Lancaster County and York County tied for 24th worst. Some counties in Pennsylvania recorded increases in the number of ozone and particle pollution days while others showed decreases, though their grades remained generally stable. However, there were significantly more days with unhealthful levels of short-term particle pollution in 2001-2003 than in 2000-2002. Chester County moved onto the list of most ozone-polluted counties in the nation ranked at 24th. Eleven Pennsylvania counties monitored unhealthful levels yearround of particle pollution.
Virginia counties generally had higher numbers of unhealthy ozone and particle pollution days in 2001-2003 than in 2000-2002. However, there was good news for Virginia: two counties and one city saw their year-round particle pollution levels drop enough to move from failing to passing grades.
West Virginia counties had similar or slightly more unhealthful ozone and particle pollution days and two counties on the list of those most polluted year-round by particle pollution: Hancock County and Kanawha County, WV, ranked 18 th and 23rd respectively. There were no changes in West Virginia county grades for yearround particle pollution, as nine counties continue to report unhealthful levels year-round.
Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
The Southeast saw some of the strongest improvements in ozone and particle pollution of any region in 2001-2003. Every state had fewer unhealthy ozone and particle pollution days. Even with those reductions, several cities in the Southeast remained on the lists of most polluted cities in the nation. Three cities made both lists for worst particle pollution levels. Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL ranked 10th most polluted by short-term particle pollution and tied for 15th most polluted year-round by particle pollution. Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN tied 13th for short-term particle pollution and ranked 21st for year-round levels. Parts of Kentucky are included in the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, which tied for 10th most polluted by particles year round and ranked 18th for short term particle pollution as well. Atlanta-Sandy-Springs-Gainesville, GA ranked 9th on the list of cities most polluted year-round by particle pollution. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH tied for 24th on the list of cities most polluted by particles year round. Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC ranked 12th on the list of most ozone-polluted cities, followed by Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN at 15th.
Several cities improved enough to drop off the list of most ozone-polluted cities. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA, which had been in the list of the worst ten cities for ozone in the past, disappeared completely from the list. Others dropping off last year’s list were Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC; Morristown-Newport, TN; and Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. For individual counties, Mecklenburg County, NC improved its ozone levels enough to drop off the list of the 25 most ozone-polluted counties.
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Palm Coast, FL ranked on all three lists of the cleanest cities in the nation. Three other cities in Florida ranked among the cleanest cities for particle pollution: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville; Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce. Jacksonville, FL, also made the list of the nation’s cleanest cities for ozone.
Several counties in this region also appear on the list of counties with the most unhealthful days for short-term and year-round particle pollution and ozone. Jefferson County, AL ranked 13 th on the list for short-term particle pollution and tied for 19th for year-round particle pollution levels. Fulton County, GA, ranked as the 12th most polluted year-round by particle pollution. Jefferson County, KY ranked 17th on the list for short-term particle pollution. Rowan County, NC ranked 18th and Sevier County, TN ranked 25th on the list of most ozone-polluted counties.
In Alabama, four counties improved their grades for ozone from an F to a C, while two other counties improved their grades to a B. For short-term particle pollution, seven counties improved their grades to an A, while five counties improved to a B. Two counties improved their grades for year-round particle pollution to passing, while Russell County remained with Jefferson County monitoring unhealthful levels.
In Florida, three counties improved their grade for ozone days to an A, while four counties improved to a C, including three that had received an F previously. Two counties improved their grades to a B. Five counties improved their shortterm particle pollution grades to an A. There were no changes in grades for yearround particle pollution in Florida, which continues to have no counties monitoring unhealthful levels.
Nine Georgia counties reduced their short-term particle pollution enough to improve their grades since the last report. Four Georgia counties also improved their grades for ozone. Year-round particle pollution grades for four counties improved from failing to passing, but nine counties remain with unhealthful levels of particles year-round.
Six Kentucky counties improved their grades for year-round particle pollution from failing to passing, while five improved their short-term grades. Four Kentucky counties improved their ozone grades from an F to a D or a C. Three other counties also improved their ozone grades. Two Kentucky counties remain with unhealthful levels of particle pollution year-round.
Three counties in Mississippi improved their F grades in ozone to a C or a D. Four other counties also improved their ozone grades. Seven Mississippi counties improved their short-term particle pollution grades. There were no changes in year-round particle pollution grades.
Four North Carolina counties reduced their year-round particle levels enough to move to passing grades, while two counties improved their F grades for shortterm particle pollution to a D. Two North Carolina counties improved their ozone grades from an F to a D. Four counties improved their short-term particle pollution grades by one grade, and a county also improved its ozone grade one grade. However, three counties did record enough additional days of short-term particle pollution for their grades to decline by one grade.
Two counties in South Carolina improved their ozone grades from an F to a D, while two other counties improved their ozone grades by one grade. Two counties also improved their particle pollution grades by one grade each. Greenville County, SC improved its grade for year-round particle pollution from failing to passing.
Three Tennessee counties improved their ozone grades from an F to a D. Six counties improved their short-term particle pollution grades by one or more grades, including one county moving from an F to a D. Two counties reduced their year-round particle pollution levels enough to improve to a passing grade. One county had enough additional unhealthful days to drop its short-term particle pollution grade by one grade.
Regional Analysis continued... |
