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Polluted Parks Air Quality in Many National Parks Similar to Major Cities Reduced visibility, increased asthma attacks, and damaged vegetation from smog are serious problems at many of our national parks and wilderness areas: including, the Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah, Sequoia, Acadia, Joshua Tree, Cape Cod and Yosemite national parks. In an attempt to improve the air quality in America's National Parks and Wilderness areas the National Park Service has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement new regulations to protect our beautiful public lands from air pollution. Smog and haze have increased in recent years According to Department of the Interior, "Visibility impairment is the most ubiquitous air pollution-related problem in our national parks and refuges… all areas monitored for visibility show frequent regional haze impairment."1 Smog levels were measured in 28 national parks from 1993- 2002. At 20 of these national parks smog levels increased over the ten year period. Improvements were only seen in 6 parks and most of the improvements were not significant. 2 In the Parks:3 Shenandoah National Park – On particularly bad air days, visibility at the park may drop to less than 1 mile. Sequia-Kings Canyon National Park – In 2001, air in the park was unhealthy to breath on 61 days. Yosemite National Park – Over an eleven year study period, bad air levels in the park exceeded those found in many major metropolitan areas, including; Atlanta, New York, and Houston. Great Smoky Mountains National Park – scenic views at the nation's most visited national park have been reduced by 80% from natural conditions. Top 5 Smoggy Parks 4 Great Smokey Mountains National Park Shenandoah National Park Mammoth Cave National Park Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Acadia National Park Effects of Poor Air Quality Include: Poor air quality leads to reduced growth and survival of tree seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to disease, pests, and other environmental stresses. Campers and hikers who escape to our parks are often greeted by dim, hazy vistas and unhealthy air. Haze shortens lives, "what you see you breathe;" tens of thousands die prematurely each year from the same pollutants that cause haze. Solutions include: Cleanup old coal power plants. Many coal-fired power plants emit 4 to 10 times more pollution than modern plants, and contribute a large share of visibility impairing particles. Cleaner Cars and Fuels: Emissions from mobile sources are the largest contributors to smog. Cleaner Trucks: The sulfur in diesel fuel is a major contributor to smog. For more information see our background information and letter to the EPA on air pollution in the national parks, or contact Nat Mund at (202) 675-2397 or nat.mund@sierraclub.org. ParkNet: Air Resources EPA: Visibiitiy CAMNET: Realtime Air Pollution and Visibility Monitoring U.S. Department of the Interior, letter to U.S. EPA, Docket No. A-2000-28, September 17, 2001. U.S. EPA. Latest Findings on National Air Quality: 2002 Status and Trends. August, 2003. National Parks Conservation Association. Code Red: America's Five Most Polluted National Parks. September, 2002. Ibid. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club