www.CTGreenGuide.com WinTer 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 7
News Cycle
By Brad Kane
T
he number of unhealthy air
quality days this Connecticut
summer dropped to eight, a
decline of 56 percent from last year
and 70 percent from two years ago.
Despite the drastic improve-
ment, Connecticut by far remained
the smoggiest of the New England
states. In fact, only one other state
even had an unhealthy air qual-
ity day, which was New Hampshire
with one day total. While Con-
necticut has its share of pollutants
causing the problem, the state's
close proximity to the power plants,
factories, and high-volume traffic
downwind makes matters worse.
"There are emissions that get transported into Con-
necticut from places like New York City," said Anne
Arnold, manager of air quality planning at the New Eng-
land office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"More needs to be done, and everyone can help from a
personal perspective."
The unhealthy air quality days are caused when levels
of ozone — better known as smog — exceed 0.075 parts
per million over an 8-hour period. The smog is caused
when sunlight interacts with pollutants in the air, par-
ticularly emissions from vehicles and fossil-fuel burning
electric plants. Gas stations, lawn mowers, print shops,
and household products also contribute to the problem.
CT Smog Days Drop By More than 50 percent
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