American Lung Ass'n Ranks Los Angeles-Long Beach WORST In Nation In Ozone, FIFTH WORST in Nation For Particulates
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(April 29, 2015) -- The American Lung Association's Annual "State of the Air" report (released April 29) ranks Los Angeles-Long Beach as having WORST air quality in the nation in terms of ozone, and fifth worst in the nation in terms of both year-round particle pollution and short term particle pollution.
Los Angeles-Long Beach ranked worst among 220 other metropolitan areas nationwide for ozone levels, and only 5 areas (out of 220 nationally) ranked worse than Los Angeles-Long Beach in terms of particulates (year round and short term.) (They were San Joaquin valley areas: Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, Bakersfield, Fresno-Madera and Modesto-Merced.)
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The American Lung Association report included the graphs below, which show that despite reductions measured over several years (1996 for ozone, 2000 for particulates), the L.A.-LB area's air quality remains at high levels that are among the worst in the country.
Graphic from American Lung Ass'n
To view the page with these data, with links to "groups at risk," click this link.
The American Lung Association notes in a release that "both ozone and particle pollution can harm your health - even shorten lives. Medical science warns us that air pollution does more harm to our health than we previously thought, and at lower levels."
[American Lung Ass'n release] Dangerous levels of air pollution can harm everyone, even healthy adults. However, those at greatest risk include infants, children, older adults, anyone with lung disease like asthma and COPD, people with heart disease or diabetes, people with low incomes and anyone who works or exercises outdoors. High levels of pollution can cause severe asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes. Recently, the World Health Organization concluded that particle pollution can cause lung cancer, the #1 cancer killer in America.
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The City of Long Beach and Mayor Garcia's office (which have advanced City measures to promote healthier eating and lifestyles) had no immediate reaction to the American Lung Association's State of the Air report. During his Jan. 2015 "State of the City" address, Mayor Garcia didn't mention air quality.
The American Lung Association report recommends strengthening air quality requirements, more closely monitoring freeway, railyard, truck and ports pollutants and moving toward zero-emission vehicles and fuels.
In 2006, the Ports of Long Beach-Los Angeles adopted a self-declared "Clean Air Action Plan" aimed at reducing pollutants from ships, trains and truck operations. In recent years, the Port of LB has said the Clean Air Action Plan has significantly reduced those pollutants (some using estimates based on manufacturer specifications, not empirical measurements) by requiring only "clean [newer model] trucks" within the Ports. The Port of LB has urged cargo vessels to reduce speed in and near the Ports (reducing emissions) and is implementing "cold ironing" the use of electricity to power ships at berth to avoid running ship engines as the ships offload and onload.
State and regional regulatory bodies now require ships to use "clean diesel fuel" within coastal areas and efforts are being made to regulate some aspects of railroad operations (triggering legal challenges from the RR industry, citing federal preemption.)
But if the American Lung Association's rankings are accurate, the net result of these efforts has brought some improvements that have still left residents with some of the worst air in the nation.
As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, in October 2014 the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) released a draft of the fourth in its series of Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Studies (MATES-IV) showing updated estimated cancer risks [didn't include other health effects] from multiple airborne toxics.
The MATES-IV draft study indicated that efforts to reduce pollutants have produced results: pollution levels today are now significantly lower than in 2005. The map below shows reductions, with darker green showing greatest reductions.
However SCAQMD noted that older standards significantly underestimated cancer risks. The map below shows the old standards applied to current pollution readings.
Two railroads servicing Port-related cargo operations -- BNSF and Union Pacific -- are currently in various stages of seeking governmental approvals to build enlarged railyards; advocates say the new facilities will bring construction jobs and will be more efficient and produce less pollution despite higher cargo volumes. Neither provides "on-dock" rail; both are located some distance from the docks, requiring transport by trucks to trains; both railyards are opposed by West Long Beach area groups.
CalTrans is currently considering an expansion of the 710 freeway to as many as 14 lanes (includes dedicated truck lanes); proponents say it will mean less pollution ("faster freight, cleaner air.") Over a period spanning many years, Long Beach City Councilmembers, Harbor Commissioners and area Congressmembers and Sacramento legislators (of both parties) have supported a roughly $1 billion rebuild of the Gerald Desmond bridge, completed in the 1960s, to enable larger ships carrying more containers to enter the Port of LB's inner harbor (and the new container volumes will ultimately have to be transported out of the area by trucks, trains, or both.)
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During local discussion of the bridge rebuild, local bicycle advocates urged inclusion of a bicycle lane on the bridge (advocated by the late Mark Bixby.) At the request of then-Councilman/Vice Mayor (now Mayor) Robert Garcia, the new bridge (which will be considerably higher and visible over a large area) will include decorative lighting.
