SierraScape August - September 2003
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by Cheryl Hammond

Concern for clean air is a funny thing. The very same political leader who testifies that air pollution controls are too strict is firmly requesting his neighbor to go outside to smoke a cigarette. The health dangers of ground level ozone have not caught the public's attention in the same way as have the dangers of cigarettes and second hand smoke. Although the right to breathe clean air is one of our most fundamental rights, public concern for clean air has been slow to come. Unfortunately with air pollution, we cannot ask the polluter to step outside. We are all at risk.

In St. Louis, ozone, or smog, is the air pollutant from which we most need to protect ourselves. Ozone itself does not come out of the tailpipes of our vehicles and it does not come out of a smokestack, but is created when ozone precursors are emitted from vehicles and smokestacks and these precursors interact with sunlight. We have the biggest ozone problem in the summer and we speak of being in the ozone season at that time.

Ozone has a cumulative effect on our bodies. Ozone damages the cells that line the air spaces in the lungs and decreases the lung function. Within a few days, these cells shed and new cells take their place, just like skin peels after a sunburn. When this happens repeatedly, the health of the lung is permanently damaged. Ozone causes our lungs to age prematurely, and those exposed to ozone experience reduced lung function at an earlier age. The usual ozone alerts we have become accustomed to give us a false sense of security, as if only the elderly and asthmatics need worry about ozone. Ozone is a problem for all of us and we can't buy sunscreen for it.

Ozone pollution not only affects human health. It also makes trees and plants more susceptible to disease, drought, and pests. Both acute high levels of ozone and chronic low level pollution can result in lasting damage. Ozone slows photosynthesis, accelerates aging, and causes early leaf drop. In addition, ozone combined with other air pollutants, such as SO2 is highly corrosive and can damage non-living materials such as rubber and plastics,

Around half of ozone precursors can be attributed to automobiles and trucks on our highways. This is why Missouri has instituted vehicle emissions testing and special gas nozzles at service stations for the St. Louis area. This is also why driving a gasoline efficient vehicle is a win-win situation. We decrease our dependence on foreign oil at the same time we clean up our air. Walking, biking, or public transit, are even better alternatives.

As an individual, it is hard to protect yourself from ozone. You can't see it or smell it and it travels downwind. For example, the Sierra Club is concerned about the proposed super-sized cement plant to be built in Ste.Genevieve County because these emissions will affect the air in St. Louis and beyond. Sometimes ozone is mixed with fine particulates and you see a haze.

When driving, you can't protect yourself from ozone by rolling up the windows. According to www.breathingSafely.com, air pollutants inside cars may be ten times higher than in ambient air outside the car and car air conditioners don't purify the air. Ozone comes in the vents and builds up the longer you are in traffic. Truck drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers, police officers, and commuters traveling more than six hours per week are particularly at risk. The person walking along the road beside you is at less risk from ozone than you and your children are riding in your car. Television ads showing small children cozily enclosed in the back seats of large vehicles inaccurately portray children as being in a safe and healthy setting.

St. Louis was recently declared in-attainment on the 1-hour ozone rule. Although, the 1-hour ozone rule is a standard for a very weak level of protection against ozone, the year 2002 was the first year that St. Louis has ever been declared in-attainment on this standard since ozone measurements were first taken. However, the EPA has recognized that this rule is too weak to protect human health, and in 1997, the EPA replaced the 1-hour standard with a new standard, referred to as the 8-hour standard. St. Louis does not now meet the 8-hour standard. Missouri DNR recently proposed a boundary for the non-attainment area for the 8-hour standard. This boundary includes the same counties as the current 1-hour standard. Ozark Chapter Director Carla Klein spoke for the Sierra Club to the Missouri Air Conservation Commission to argue that Ste. Genevieve also be included in this boundary, due to the Holcim Cement Plant proposed to be located there. As of the date of this article, the boundary decision is still pending.

Although St. Louis has reached a milestone on air quality, this summer will tell whether the air quality level is maintained. Many environmentalists argue that the attainment is not sustainable with the current regulatory framework. In addition, the milestone we have reached is an out of date standard that medical scientists no longer believe will protect our health. The EPA moves slowly and we can expect that the 8-hour standard will take many years for full implementation of control measures.

As a member of the Sierra Club, you are supporting efforts to improve air. We can have both clean air and jobs. We must have an environment that is healthy for children to run and play in the summer and for all of us to breathe easily.