Particle pollution falls 10% in 4 years--USA Today

[Demeter]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-12-14-particle-pollution_x.htm

"By Traci Watson USA Today

WASHINGTON — The average level of a deadly form of air pollution dropped in the USA from 1999 to 2003 as new pollution controls made strides in battling the nation's air quality problem, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
The deadliest form of particulate pollution, the soot emitted by tailpipes and smokestacks, fell 10% during the four-year period, the EPA reported. Particulate kills tens of thousands of people each year by triggering heart and lung problems, EPA reports have said.

Despite the improvement, many communities still suffer from particulate pollution far worse than allowed by federal law. The new report says that 62 million people live in counties where particulate levels were higher in 2003 than limits set by the EPA to protect public health.

But EPA chief Mike Leavitt said the nation has been making steady strides in improving overall air quality. His agency estimates that fine particulate levels are roughly 30% lower now than 25 years ago."

I MIGHT BE IMPRESSED WITH THIS, HAD THERE ACTUALLY BEEN ANY ATTEMPTS TO SCRUB SMOKESTACKS AND REDUCE TAILPIPE EMISSIONS. I SUSPECT, HOWEVER, THAT THIS "REDUCTION" MERELY REFLECTS THE COLLAPSE OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY, ESPECIALLY ITS MANUFACTURING SECTOR, AND THE CURTAILING OF TRAVEL DUE TO A 33% JUMP IN FUEL PRICES. IF NOT FOR THE FACT THAT PEAK ELECTRICITY IS PRODUCED BY COAL-FIRED PLANTS, THE OBSERVED REDUCTION IN PARTICULATES WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LARGER--DEMETER

EDITED TO ADD LINK

[Tempest]

1. Two reasons why

1) Just as you said, the decrease in U.S. manufacturing.

2) STATES, not the federal, action to decrease particulate matter. California leads the nation in regulations which have decreased particulates in the air.

[Pirate Smile]

2. Didn't we change what we include in the definition and that is what

accounts for a lot of the drop?

[greenman3610]

3. to some degree

replacement of older facilities...

[callous taoboy]

4. Ah, Bingo! n/t

[CornField]

5. There is a much easier way to judge air quality

How many young children are having respiratory problems? By some estimates, respiratory difficulties in children have multiplied three times over in the past two years. (Other studies show it only doubling in the past two years.)