Cleveland & Cuyahoga County Receive A "D" Grade For Smog

A report for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County released today by Environmental Defense and the Clean Air Conservancy gives the area a “D” grade for smog. The report can be found here. The grade reflects:

• Bad Air Quality. Smog levels in and around Cuyahoga County hover just below existing federal health standards and do not meet proposed stricter standards. Smog (technically known as ground-level ozone) can lead to increased likelihood of asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. In addition to smog, the county ranks among the worst 3% of US counties for cancer and non-cancer risks due to hazardous air pollutants from automobiles and industrial sources.

• Failure to address pollution from large industrial facilities. In Cuyahoga County, twelve facilities are allegedly violating federal air rules, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Lack of ozone monitoring. Cuyahoga County’s three ozone monitors are generally insufficient to provide information on particular pollution “hotspots.” Furthermore, none of the monitors are actually within the industrial zone of Cleveland.

Despite the poor grade, improvements at the Cleveland Health Department have resulted in more experienced and better-trained staff and reduced the backlog of expired permits. The Health Department also has pushed all city agencies to cut polluting activities on Ozone Action Days.

“Reforms at the Health Department have improved the agency’s effectiveness,” stated Kevin Snape, the Clean Air Conservancy’s executive director. “Now the agency has to get more aggressive about enforcing permits and communicating with and listening to the public.”

“Recent increases in the amount of driving and the popularity of less efficient vehicles such as SUVs have marked the end of a slow improvement in ozone levels,” said Carol Andress, economic specialist for Environmental Defense. “Local authorities need to do more to reduce emissions by encouraging residents to drive less and use cleaner cars.”

The report points out that local authorities need to improve monitoring for ozone and particulate matter. “People should know how the factory near their house is affecting the air they breathe. By increasing the number of air quality monitors, we can learn more about the pollution levels throughout the county,” said Snape.