SUFFOLK CLOSEUP: Suffolk County Receives "F" For Ozone Pollution

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

How can Suffolk County—this county jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean and far from the urban parts of the New York Metropolitan Area— receive again a failing grade for pollution from ozone in a report released last month by the American Lung Association.

The reason we are hit with ozone is because it blows here in the wind from the New York Metro Area, and the Long Island Sound is also a factor. 

“If you live in Suffolk County, the air you breathe may put your health at risk,” declares the ALA’s annual “State of Your Air 2024” report in its pages about Suffolk County. You can view the report at https://www.lung.org/research/sota 

There’s an online provision on its first page to learn about details about the “State of Your Air” by clicking on the “Select a Location” button and inputting your zip code.

Suffolk has been given an “F” by the ALA for ozone pollution for years.

Most of New York City also scored poorly receiving D’s. Queens, like Suffolk, got an F.

With all the problems nationally and internationally, who needs this!

Providing an explanation of our situation is NESCAUM which stands for Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. It describes itself as a “a coalition of state air agencies [that] promotes regional cooperation and action by its member states in support of effective programs to reduce the adverse public health and environmental impacts of air pollution and climate change.”

In an online posting headed “Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study,” NESCAUM says: “A unique feature of this chronic ozone problem is pollution transported in a northeast direction out of NYC [New York City] over Long Island Sound. The relatively cool waters of Long Island Sound confine the pollutants in a shallow and stable marine boundary layer. Afternoon heating over coastal land creates a sea breeze that carries the air pollution…”

Suffolk County in the 2020 to 2022 period covered in the ALA report, went beyond the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality standard for ozone—70 parts per billion—for 25 days. For 24 of those days, it reached 71 to 88 parts per billion here. And on one day the ozone level in Suffolk was between 86 and 105 parts per billion. 

As Newsday in its article about the ALA report noted about Suffolk and its record, “No other New York county in the report has as many high ozone days.”

A four-page statement—titled “Ozone and Health”—from the New York State Department of Health online begins: “Ground-level ozone is the main ingredient in smog. Breathing in unhealthy levels of ozone can increase the risk of health problems like coughing, breathing difficulty, and lung damage.”

It further explains: “Ozone pollution forms in sunlight usually on hot summer days when volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides react to sunlight. These pollutants come from sources such as vehicles, industries…”

Under a heading, “When Outdoor Air is Unhealthy,” the Department of Health says people should: “Spend more time indoors. This is especially important for at-risk groups (‘sensitive groups’) such as children and teenagers, older adults, people with lung disease like asthma, and those who exercise or work outdoors; When it’s too hot inside, cool off with air conditioning. Find a place to get cool; People who must work outdoors should do so in the morning when levels are usually lower and take frequent breaks; Schools, child and adult care facilities, employers and activities programs should plan for more indoor activities or schedule outdoor activities in the morning when ozone levels are lower; People with health symptoms should contact their health care provider; Get the latest air quality conditions by visiting DEC’s [the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s] air quality forecast website or airnow.gov.”

The Department of Health says: “New York State alerts the public when ozone levels are expected to be unhealthy. An Air Quality Alert is issued the day before or the same day for the region of the state that is affected. These alerts are often broadcast on the news or weather stations.” 

The American Lung Association is seeking action to deal with the cause of the problem through its Lung Action Network. “Stronger Ozone Limits Would Improve the State of the Air” says a posting about this made along with issuance of its report.

Its report found that in the nation “too many people are living with unhealthy levels of air pollution.” The report “shows that 131 million people (nearly 40% of the U.S. population) live in an area with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution, or smog. There are national limits on how much ozone can be in the air—but those limits are outdated.”

A “Letter to Administrator Regan” is offered for folks to send to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, that starts: “I urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to update the current, inadequate National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone. EPA has recently taken several critical steps to reduce air pollution and address climate change, including stronger National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter, tighter emissions standards for cars and trucks…Stronger ozone standards, however, are missing from this list of life-saving measures. The science is clear: stronger ozone standards are urgently needed.”

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.