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Austin has long held the reputation of being a clean city, in every way. But as summer 2009 approaches, the city is at risk of losing, for the first time, its compliance with federal clean air standards. The culprit? High ozone levels during those hot summer days when there’s barely a breath of wind to cool us down.
Air quality is measured on an hourly basis in Austin, as well as all across the country. Two monitors in the Austin area, one near Murchison Middle School and one in the Cedar Park area, constantly measure the ozone parts per billion (ppb) as well as the number of microscopic particles (the teeny stuff that can imbed itself in your lungs and cause irritation) and transmit the information to state and federal environmental offices.
Until recently, according to Fred Blood, City of Austin sustainability officer for air quality and other environmental standards, the federal standard for clean air was a three-year average of 80 ppb or less on high-ozone days. Austin’s current average is 77 ppb, which means the city has been flirting with non-compliance in recent years.
However, according to Blood, during the past year, the federal government tightened ozone standards by lowering the threshold for non-compliance to 75 ppb. Austin, Blood says, has only one summer to bring itself into compliance with the new standard.
“Summer is the ozone season,” said Blood. The combination of hot, sultry days with little or no wind, and weather patterns that move highly polluted air into the Austin area from areas as far away as Houston or St. Louis, create perfect conditions for ozone to be produced. Ozone, Blood said, is not directly emitted into our air, it is created from the interaction of other things, such as gasoline fumes, evaporated chemicals, tailpipe exhaust or smokestack emissions. The various elements combine to create ground-level (or “ambient”) ozone, which is harmful to your health. Ozone at a high level in the atmosphere is a good thing, said Blood.
“We like it up high, because it protects the earth from ultraviolet rays,” said Blood. “We don’t like it on the ground because it rots out your lungs.” According to Blood, the kind of day that creates ozone is hot, typically 90-105 degrees, with low winds, generally less than five miles an hour.
“Those are the dog days of summer,” Blood said. During a particularly hot spell, the air over the Houston Ship Channel will stagnate, then, with the help of a high-pressure system over ensuing days, a clockwise weather pattern will blow the pollution into Austin, where it sits and bakes in the sun. A perfect breeding ground, he says, for creating ozone.
If Austin is in the wake of pollution from as far away as Houston, how can local residents hope to fight ozone on a local level? Is it a losing battle?
“The thing you can do is conserve energy,” said Blood. “The same things you would do to fight global warming will help reduce ozone.” When you hear the warnings on the news about Ozone Action Days, you can indeed take action that will help.
Blood suggests people arrange to telecommute whenever possible on Ozone Action Days. If it’s not possible to work from home, consider taking the bus or sharing rides with co-workers. If you have to fill up your gas tank, do it in the evening rather than in the morning. Fumes released in cooler, morning air are more likely to hang around and interact chemically later with other emissions, which will create ozone.
Basically, Blood said, try to avoid turning on your ignition on potentially high ozone days. You can also conserve electricity use by raising the thermostat a few degrees (rather than a bone-chilling 70-72 degrees, try for 76-78 degrees), and Austin Energy can install an energy-saving thermostat in your home that will turn off your air conditioner’s compressor for a few minutes during peak usage times.
Aside from the loss of local pride we might feel if Austin were to become non-compliant with federal air quality standards, there are financial benefits to being in compliance. The federal government can reduce or withhold funds for roads and other infrastructure projects if a city is out of compliance. It can also become more difficult to get permits for various types of growth and development. And, it should go without saying, there are significant health risks related to increased air pollution.
Clean air standards adopted by the United States and other countries in recent decades stem from disasters such as the 1952 killer smog in London, when as many as 8,000 people died. During that incident, a series of – in this case – windless, cold-weather days trapped London residents in air that had literally become opaque with factory and furnace smoke, petroleum fumes, tailpipe exhaust and other pollutants. Only after thousands died, did the government create policies allowing it to take action to prevent future disasters.
Ground-level ozone can cause a number of health problems, ranging from coughs to increased asthma, inflammation of the lungs and reduced lung function. In short, it’s not good for anyone. During the peak ozone season, which Blood said lasts from April until about October, people who are particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses should stay indoors, if possible, when Ozone Action Days are designated.
Meanwhile, as the weather heats up and the summer unfolds, Austin will be in a competition with itself to retain its compliance status with federal clean air standards.
“We’re essentially right at the standard,” said Blood. “We have to have a good summer to maintain our status as a clean-air city.” Because federal standards were changed during the past year, cities that are hovering near non-compliance due to the adjusted standard, such as in Austin’s case, have one summer to come up to standard.
You can check Austin’s ozone levels online at www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl?region11_cur.gif. Numbers appearing in the little green boxes are current readings at various sites in Central Texas.
For more information on national air quality standards and other environmental issues, visit www.epa.gov/.