Q: How does poor air quality affect our health?

A: In the United States each year, air pollution causes 70,000 deaths ń three times the number caused by traffic accidents.

In North Carolina each year, air pollution leads to an estimated
    3,000 premature deaths;
    6,000 hospital admissions for respiratory disease and another 2,000 for cardiovascular disease;
    1,500 new cases of asthma and 2,500 cases of chronic bronchitis in adults.

Q: Who is most susceptible to the effects of air pollution?

A: Children and the elderly ń more than 115,000 in Rowan and Cabarrus ń as well as people with lung disease and those who work or exercise outdoors are particularly susceptible.

Q: Why are children more susceptible?

A: Since children have a higher breathing rate than adults relative to their body weight and lung area surface, polluted air affects them more. They also have narrower airways than adults. Consequently, air pollution that would produce only moderate irritation in adults can cause serious problems in a young child.

Q: How does traffic-related air pollution impact us?

A: A number of diseases have been linked to the air pollution related to vehicle emissions, including asthma, lung cancer, Hodgkinís disease and heart attacks.

Q: How are children impacted by traffic-related air pollution?

A: A study in 2005 reported that the risk of asthma increased 89 percent for each quarter-mile closer children lived to a major roadway. A follow-up study two years later discovered that children who live within about 1,500 feet of major roadway experienced decreased air flow in their lungs.

Q: Can unborn children be affected by air pollution?

A: A study released in August 2009 suggests that smog may have an adverse affect on the developing brain. Children whose mothers were exposed to the most pollution before birth scored an average of 4-5 points lower on IQ tests than children whose mothers experienced less exposure.
 
Q: How does dirty air impact people with asthma?

A: Smog and soot worsen asthma and trigger attacks. Some evidence suggests that ozone and diesel exhaust particles may actually cause asthma in some cases. Nearly 2/3 of those who suffer from asthma live in an area where at least one federal air-quality standard is not being met.

Q: How does air pollution impact our health costs?

A: North Carolinians paid $100 million in 2001 for treatment of children with asthma, an air pollution-related illness. Our stateís citizens miss an estimated 500,000 days of work each year because of illness caused by air pollution.

Impact on Local Economy

Q: What would happen if the Environmental Protection Agency designated the Metro-Charlotte area as ěseriousî?

A: Industries would face additional restrictions and limitations under those circumstances. Industries currently have to get special federal permits if they emit more than 100 tons of certain pollutants per year. If weíre in the serious category, the threshold for having to get one of those permits drops down to 50 tons. And those permits are expensive. It would also require industries to install more emission-control equipment. (For more information on the rules, visit http://daq.state.nc.us/rules/rules/.)
The N.C. Division of Air Quality has notified about 200 facilities in the seven-county region that could be affected if that happens. A total of 18 are in Rowan County and 19 are in Cabarrus. The EPA estimates that it generally costs $3,000 – $5,000 per ton to control emissions through those costs can vary widely. (For more information on control techniques, visit http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/SIPToolkit/ctgs.html.)

Q: How does a ěseriousî designation affect economic development?

A: If industries that are already here want to undergo a major expansion or a major new industry wants to come in, they are subject to a new set of requirements. These include installing the most stringent emissions control equipment available regardless of cost — plus they have to offset their emissions increase. They can offset the emissions increase by shutting something down or adding more pollution-control equipment to other processes or paying for somebody elseís pollution-control measures. That makes it hard to recruit new industry to the area or for existing industries to expand significantly.

Q: What are the other impacts of the ěseriousî category?

A: Gas stations may have to install equipment for collecting gasoline vapors while refueling motor vehicles. Thatís expensive because there is underground piping involved. It will also cost citizens more money to get repairs if they fail vehicle inspections. Now if you spend $200 on repairs and still fail, you can get a one-year waiver from additional repairs. If we are in the ěseriousî category, the minimum expenditure bumps up to about $500.

Q: How does it affect our ability to get federal funds for highways?

A: Bumping up to ěseriousî wonít affect highways right away. But transportation planning has other problems related to the air quality standards. When the state puts together the State Implementation Plan, the N.C. Division of Air Quality asks the transportation officials to project their highway needs in the future. They have to ensure that emissions will not contribute to worsening air quality. If growth exceeds their expectations, they find it difficult to meet the budget set up by the SIP. If a region is out of compliance, it stands to delay or lose funding the federal government pays for highway construction and repair.