More than 100 million Americans breathe sooty air (so… that's 1 in 3 right?)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iywho8wdv1gBPcPVMYbc3Fmab15QD9582BIO0

More than 100 million Americans breathe sooty air

By SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 100 million people living in 46 metro areas are breathing air that has gotten too full of soot on some days, and now those cities have to clean up their air, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

The EPA added 15 cities to the sooty air list, mostly in states not usually thought of as pollution-prone, such as Alaska, Utah, Idaho and Wisconsin. That's probably because of the prevalence of wood stoves in western and northern regions, a top EPA official said.

But environmentalists said the EPA was only doing half its job on soot-laden areas, letting some southern cities with long-term soot problems — such as Houston — off the hook.

The EPA notified elected officials in 211 counties in 25 states that their air violated newly tightened daily standards for fine particles of pollution from diesel-burning trucks, power plants, wood-burning stoves and other sources. Those particles, often called soot, can cause breathing and heart problems.

…

http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/

[Warpy]

1. The EPA map is just a little inadequate

When I lived in Boston, I'd treat myself to an occasional day trip to Provincetown in the summer.

As the boat pulled far away from the city, I never failed to wonder at the pinkish grey cloud that was over the city and rolling out to sea. The air in Boston looked clear enough while you were in it, but it was unbelievably foul once you were out of it and looking at it from a distance.

I also never saw the stars when I was in the city.

Most of the urban air in this country is equally filthy in my experience, although it's improved a bit since coal furnaces went the way of the buggy whip.

The EPA map really should reflect it.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Just imagine how bad things are in places that made the map

I know of a few coal-burning plants. They don't show up.

[Warpy]

3. Right, the air quality in the Four Corners area

of NM, AZ, CO, and UT is some of the worst in the nation due to coal fired power plants and it isn't represented on the map, either.

Feh.