| August 5, 1999 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Windsor, Ontario/Detroit, Michigan -
As we head into the final stretch of summer a new US Clean Air Network, and Clean Air Task Group report called “NO ESCAPE: Can You Ever Really Get Away From Smog?” says that smog in the US is everywhere. This report is being released today nationally in the US and in Southwestern Ontario and shows that monitoring stations around the US are reporting record record high levels of smog.
Whether you live in the city or head out to your favourite vacation spot the NO ESCAPE Report shows that smog is everywhere you turn. The bulk of the report is a comparison of population centres and vacation spots and covers 33 states.
Of interest to those of us living in Southwestern Ontario and Southeast Michigan is the fact that one monitoring station in Detroit (East 7 Mile Road) lead the nation (with the exception of southern California) with the most exceedances of the new US standard of an 8 hour average of 85 ppb.
While records are being broke around the US, the City of Windsor in Southwestern Ontario broke last years record for the highest smog levels in Canada. In 1998 records show that levels in Windsor amounted to 130 hours of exceeding the one hour acceptable Ontario standard of 80 ppb over 30 days (May-Sept.). This year, monitoring stations at College Street and University Ave, in Windsor has shown that (unofficially) Windsor has broken that record with 128 hours of the one hour standard of 80ppb over just 25 days (as of July 20) and with 2 months still left in the smog season. This has occurred while the College Street station has been out of service for approximately 1/3 of the summer.
The state of Michigan has recorded record levels of the new US 8 hour average for smog levels. So far this summer Michigan monitoring stations have recorded 155 violations of the 8 hour standard over approximately 29 days.
Smog is created in a complex chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when baked in sunlight. The primary sources of NOx are: coal-fired power plants, cars, trucks, industrial boilers and non-road engines such as boats, trains and lawnmowers. The primary sources of VOCs are: solvents, paints, chemical manufacturing. In the US deregulated utilities, such as Detroit Edison, have projected continuing increases of annual energy demand.
For more information contact:
Shawn Hupka
President, Citizens Environment Alliance
(519) 973-1116