CCE IN THE NEWS

Source: The Syracuse Post-Standard

CNY air gets clean bill of health

American Lung Association report finds little pollution in Upstate skies.

May 1, 2008

Several Central New York counties rank among those with the cleanest air in the nation when it comes to measuring pollution from smog and soot, according to an annual report to be released today.

Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties received some of the highest grades in the American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report for 2008.

Elsewhere in New York, more than 8.2 million residents - about 48 percent of the state's population - had to breathe unhealthy air that can irritate the lungs and cause health problems such as asthma, the report's authors said.

Seven counties, mostly Downstate in New York City and its suburbs, received failing grades.

In the metropolitan Syracuse area, a combination of factors helped reduce air pollution from local and out-of-state sources such as power plants and diesel-powered trucks and buses.

"This is kind of the bright spot for all of New York state in terms of air quality," said Michael Seilbach, senior director of public policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association's state chapter.

Madison, Oneida and Wayne counties were among only eight counties in New York to receive an A for ozone pollution, a major component of smog.

The local counties landed on an exclusive list of 186 in the United States to receive the top grade for ozone out of 3,066

by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and verified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This year's grades were based on measurements taken in 2004, 2005 and 2006, Seilbach said.

One Central New York environmental advocate said the report is a positive sign of the region's improvement, and reaffirms the importance of ongoing programs to reduce air pollution.

"This is excellent news," said Dereth Glance, of Syracuse, executive program director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We're delighted to hear it."

Glance said a combination of local efforts, such as Centro's move to eliminate its diesel-powered buses, and national efforts to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants, have helped improve the air in Central New York.

She said the region needs to build on the momentum.

"I really think it's an opportunity for us to continue with all of the efforts that are under way with our universities, and local and county government, to increase our environmental priorities," Glance said. "Onondaga County really has such a potential to become a clean and green community."

For Onondaga County, the top grade for smog pollution represents a dramatic turnaround in the annual reports from the American Lung Association.

Onondaga County received a failing grade of F in the association's annual repots in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Last year, the county was upgraded to a C, the highest grade it had achieved until now in the nine annual "State of the Air" reports.

The failing grades were based on EPA reports that the Syracuse area had 14 days in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with air quality that violated the federal standard for pollution from ground-level ozone.

Seilbach said no definitive data can point to the reason for the improvement, but he suspects a reduction in pollution from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest played a key role.

"Onondaga County has kind of had a mixed bag over the years," he said. "I'm making the assumption that the improvements in ozone we're seeing over the last two years could be related to the new May 2004 standards to clean up coal-fired power plants."