Clean Air News

Ozone Pollution Especially Harmful To Children And Seniors

As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release. 

New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG), seniors, health professionals and children's advocates released a new report on air pollution today at press conferences across the state.

The new report, "Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Levels of Smog in 2002," showed that air pollution in New Jersey is the worst in the country.

"The report shows that New Jersey has the worst air pollution in the country. We rank #1 for smog pollution—worse than even California," said Jillian Waldman, field organizer for NJPIRG. "New Jersey's smog pollution is making people sick," she continued.

The report looked at the summer of 2002 smog data from across the country. With 15 ozone-monitoring stations in New Jersey, the state has the dubious distinction of topping the list for average exceedences of the EPA ozone standard per monitor. In 2002, New Jersey monitors recorded 291 exceedences of the EPA standard, up 53 percent from 2001. This averages out to 19.4 exceedences per monitor, the highest average in the country, giving New Jersey status as the state with the worst smog pollution in the nation.

Every resident in New Jersey's 21 counties lives with unhealthy levels of ozone. This can cause chest pain and coughing, aggravate asthma, reduce lung function, and lead to irreversible lung damage. Last summer, one out of every three days was a bad air day, a day when at least one ozone monitor in the state exceeded the EPA national health standard.

Ozone pollution can have serious short and long term health effects. On ozone alert days in New Jersey, there is a 20 percent increase in emergency room visits by asthmatics, according to the New Jersey Department of Public Health. Of the 20,000 asthma-related emergency room visits during the summer months, 6,000 of those visits are by children.

"Eighty percent of the kids in our league have asthma," said Mike Alban, former President of the Ironbound Little League in Newark. "On bad air days, we have had children miss regular season games, playoff games, tournament games and even try outs because they can't breathe."

John Powell, retired teacher and vice-principal in Camden agreed saying, "Too many children in my classrooms have been affected by asthma. As a teacher and vice-principal, I've seen the harmful effects of this disease on the lives of young children and their parents. I have sent children to the emergency room and hospital beds too many times. They should be outside playing with their friends and focusing on their studies instead. Every year, more of our children are diagnosed, and the problem is just getting worse."

Air pollution is also known to exacerbate the four most common causes of death in people over 65, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. On bad-air days, the mortality rate for seniors increases as labored breathing triggers strokes and heart attacks.

"Whenever I walk outside I have to stop every few minutes to catch my breath," said Mary Rivers, a Mercer County senior afflicted by asthma. "All New Jerseyans need cleaner air in order to breathe comfortably," continued Rivers.

The three main sources of smog pollution in New Jersey are in-state industry, out of state industry (primarily power plants), and cars and trucks. Cleaning up air pollution from industrial sources lies mainly in the hands of President Bush and the EPA. Two weeks ago, the administration authorized a serious roll back of the Clean Air Act, allowing for even more pollution from power plants across New Jersey and the nation.

Passenger cars and trucks create 40 percent of smog pollution in New Jersey, and are the single largest source of air pollution in the state. NJPIRG has been working to reduce smog pollution from cars and trucks by urging legislators to pass the Clean Cars Act. The bill would set stricter emission standards for new cars sold in New Jersey, similar to those already in place in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and California. If passed, the bill would reduce smog precursors by 15-20 percent, the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road by 2020. Incidentally, none of the states that have already adopted these standards, known as LEV-II, are in the top five states with most smog violations per ozone monitor. The bill stalled in Committee at the end of June and awaits action in the next legislative session. "Smog in New Jersey is out of control and is hurting New Jerseyans, especially children and seniors, on a daily basis. We need cleaner cars for cleaner air, and we need state legislators to make sure we get it," concluded Jillian Waldman.