Lehigh Valley - Berks Air Quality Partnership

TODAY IS AN OZONE ACTION DAY

Christopher Cocca — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:26:31 +0000

The Lehigh Valley/Berks Area Air Quality Forecast for:

Thursday, July 17, 2008:

Ozone (O3) – Code ORANGE ***Air-Quality Action Day/Free Ride On LANTA***

Fine Particulates (PM 2.5) – Code YELLOW

Regional Maximum PM 2.5 Concentrations:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008:

Ozone (O3) – Code YELLOW (64 AQI or 64 ppb)

PM 2.5 – YELLOW (57 AQI or 18.7 µg/m³)

Short-Term Discussion: Stagnant conditions continue over a large portion of the Mid-Atlantic region as a ridge of high pressure remains overhead. Ozone concentrations have jumped into the upper moderate range over the last hour or so, while fine-particulate levels remain in the low moderate range. With very little air-flow expected over the next several days (with the exception of any overnight low-level jets) air-quality readings could become quite poor.

Mainly clear with some areas of fog or haze forming by morning and low temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Mostly sunny, hazy, hot and humid for Thursday with temperatures expected to reach the low to mid 90s. The combination of sunny skies and very light winds will allow ozone concentrations in some parts of the forecast area to reach the code ORANGE (unhealthy for sensitive groups) range. Fine-particulate levels should remain in the code YELLOW (moderate) range. LANTA will provide free bus rides on Thursday July 17th in Lehigh and Northampton counties. This service will be provided for one additional Air-Quality Action Day this summer.

Extended: Hazy, hot and humid conditions will continue into this weekend. Increasing humidity levels will eventually lead to the chance of thunderstorms by Friday. A weak cool front will eventually cross the region this weekend but at this time it appears that it will slowly grind to a halt then dissipate providing little relief from the heat and humidity. Poor air quality readings are possible into this weekend though clouds and showers should temper levels just a bit.

TIME: 10 Good Things about $4 Gas

Christopher Cocca — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:27:15 +0000

here.

Air Quality in CA Improving

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:39:49 +0000

“Finally, harried denizens of the Bay Area can look forward to some respite from drafts of smoky air that have kept them home-bound over the last week.

Air quality management officials let out that particulate matter in the air was in the way of containment, and the unhealthy air warnings issued over the last fortnight would most likely be lifted very soon.”

more here.

What Would It Take For You To Change Your Driving Habits

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:22:50 +0000

comment on the EPA’s blog here.

Air Quality Forecast

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:39:22 +0000

The Lehigh Valley/Berks Area Air Quality Forecast for:

Tuesday, July 1:

Ozone – Code GREEN

Fine Particulates (PM 2.5) – Code YELLOW

This Weekend’s Regional Maximum Ozone and PM 2.5 Concentrations:

Friday, June 27:

Ozone - YELLOW (54 AQI or 61 ppb)

PM 2.5 - YELLOW (69 AQI or 24.9 µg/m³)

Saturday, June 28:

Ozone - GREEN (47 AQI or 56 ppb)

PM 2.5 - YELLOW (68 AQI or 24.1 µg/m³)

Sunday, June 29:

Ozone - GREEN (48 AQI or 57 ppb)

PM 2.5 - GREEN (38 AQI or 11.8 µg/m³)

Short-Term Discussion: This afternoon will remain mostly cloudy as an upper level trough moves toward the Lehigh Valley/Berks Area. There is also the chance for some areas to see a shower or thunderstorm as they drift into the region from western Pennsylvania this afternoon. Skies will partially clear tonight as the showers and thunderstorms die off and low temperatures will drop down to around 60 degrees.

Tuesday will be mostly cloudy as the upper level trough currently over Ohio swings through. As the trough moves through, it could touch of some showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. There will also be cooler air associated with the trough which will cause high temperatures to only reach 80 degrees. Humidity levels will be reduced as well. However, particulate concentrations will still be in the YELLOW (moderate) range on Tuesday as the air that is moving into the area is not all that clean. Ozone concentrations will be in the GREEN (good) range on Tuesday due to the cloud cover and cleaner air moving into the region.

Extended: The weather will improve as we head into Wednesday. High pressure will be building into the Lehigh Valley/Berks Area providing mostly sunny skies and allowing temperatures to climb into the low to mid 80s. Humidity levels will also continue to be comfortable. Particulates should be in the good range on Wednesday as a result of the low humidity levels. Ozone may rise into the low moderate range on Wednesday, though, due to the sunny skies and warm temperatures. Another cold front will head towards the region on Thursday, increasing southwesterly flow and humidity levels ahead of it. Particulates will likely climb back into the moderate range with the increased humidity, but ozone will remain around the good/moderate threshold with clouds moving in. This front appears that it will stall over the area as we head towards the 4^th of July, allowing for the chance of showers and thunderstorms on Friday.

Two recent studies show that green building standards not only are effective, but also escalate property values

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:31:50 +0000

From BusinessWeek:

“The results of two recent studies—one carried out by the New Buildings Institute (NBI), the other by CoStar Group—show that green building standards are not only effective, but also escalate property values. The post-occupancy studies, both released in March, attempted to measure the value of buildings with sustainability features compared to conventional buildings. They also aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of third-party certification programs, specifically LEED, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Energy Star, managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

One study confirmed that new LEED-certified buildings use less energy than non-certified buildings. Commissioned and funded by the USGBC, the study was conducted by the NBI, a nonprofit organization in the Pacific Northwest that specializes in providing information about sustainable architecture. Researchers compared data on energy use intensities collected from 121 LEED-certified buildings to statistics from an energy survey conducted by the federal government in 2007.”

more here.

High Gas Prices Mean More LANTA Riders

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:27:28 +0000

From WFMZ:

The sky-high prices at the pump have some people looking for other ways to get around. Now, more and more people are parking their cars and hopping on the bus. WFMZ’s Joscelyn Moes has the story.

PA DEP Clear Air Plans through 2012 now online

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:30:24 +0000

and can be accessed here.

PA DEP Joins Suit Against EPA For Adopting Weak Air Pollution Standards Allowing Greater Ozone Levels

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:26:31 +0000

Harrisburg, PA - Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty recently said Pennsylvania has joined a coalition of states and cities, including New York and California, in lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for adopting air pollution standards that do not protect public health and the environment, but lead to greater levels of smog.

In March, the EPA acted against the specific recommendations of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee — the agency’s independent science advisors — and adopted two new, substantially weaker standards for regulating ground-level ozone pollution, commonly referred to as smog.

“The EPA and the Bush administration have again chosen politics over science, adopting air pollution standards that are not as strong as they could be, and are less protective of the public’s health and the environment,” said McGinty. “It is unfortunate that states need to petition the courts to force EPA to carry out its mission to protect American citizens and the quality of the air we breathe.”

The federal Clean Air Act requires EPA to regularly review and update primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards every five years.

The primary standard defines the maximum amount of smog concentrations that can be in the atmosphere before causing public health harm such as chronic lung disease, asthma attacks and premature death in some cases. The primary standard must provide an adequate margin of safety, as the science advisors’ recommended standard did.

The secondary standard defines the smog concentrations that can be in the atmosphere before damaging public welfare by reducing crop productivity and harming plants and animals.

On May 20, during a congressional hearing on EPA’s new eight-hour ozone standards, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee revealed that the agency succumbed to pressure from White House officials to ignore the recommendations of the agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and adopted a weaker secondary air pollution standard.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and it asks the court to order EPA to adopt more stringent standards.

Pennsylvania is joined in the lawsuit by California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, New York City, and the District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania and other states must monitor the air for ozone and other pollutants including fine particulates, and take steps to meet the federal standards.

Under the leadership of Governor Edward G. Rendell, 25 of the 37 Pennsylvania counties that did not meet EPA’s eight-hour ozone standards in June 2004 now meet current standards as a result of vigorous efforts to reduce harmful emissions from electric power plants, vehicles, industry and consumer products.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Finnish study: particulate matter kills 30 people a year

Christopher Cocca — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:23:11 +0000

more here.