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Study: Bad Air in Parks Rivals Cities'
Aired September 23, 2002 - 14:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Some of America's most scenic treasures are suffering from respiratory distress. A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities.
CNN's Ann Kellan joins us now with the details.
Boy, that is bad news, Ann.
ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you think you go to a national park and be breathing clean air and getting away from city smog. Well, think again. A survey released by the National Parks Conservation Association finds you won't be breathing easier going camping or hiking in these parks. The top five most air-polluted national parks then U.S., according to the survey: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in Tennessee and North Carolina -- 9 million people visit that a year -- Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia, noted for its skyline drive; Mammoth Cave, with over 300 caves -- that is in Kentucky; Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, in California; and Arcadia National Park, in Maine.
The cause of the pollution is different in the East versus Western U.S. In the East, the air pollution in the Smokies, Shenandoah, Mammoth Caves, Acadia parks is largely blown in from old coal-fired power plants. Now, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, these old plants are except from complying with certain provisions in the Clean Air Act, so they emit more sulfur dioxides and nitrogen dioxides -- pollution -- than modern plants. That is not to say industry emissions contribute as well.
Now, out West, Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park gets most of its pollution from traffic, the tailpipe emissions from millions of vehicles blown in from cities into the park. In Sequoia last year, ground ozone levels -- that is the not good ozone -- went above human health standards 61 days in the summer, which puts people, especially those with asthma, at risk. Acadia National Park's big trouble is acid rain -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Wow!
What about remedies? Help us out here. There has got to be something we can do.
KELLAN: Well, some of the remedies they are looking for are cleaning up the Clean Air Act, trying to get those old coal fire plants to go up top the standards of the modern plants. Also, emission standards. And no, this group does not think that the Bush administration is doing an adequate job right now of requiring stricter emissions control and cleaning up the Clean Air Act.
PHILLIPS: All right, Ann Kellan. Thank you so much.
KELLAN: Sure enough.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 23, 2002 - 14:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Some of America's most scenic treasures are suffering from respiratory distress. A new study shows air pollution in some national parks is so bad it rivals the smog in major cities.
CNN's Ann Kellan joins us now with the details.
Boy, that is bad news, Ann.
ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you think you go to a national park and be breathing clean air and getting away from city smog. Well, think again. A survey released by the National Parks Conservation Association finds you won't be breathing easier going camping or hiking in these parks. The top five most air-polluted national parks then U.S., according to the survey: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in Tennessee and North Carolina -- 9 million people visit that a year -- Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia, noted for its skyline drive; Mammoth Cave, with over 300 caves -- that is in Kentucky; Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, in California; and Arcadia National Park, in Maine.
The cause of the pollution is different in the East versus Western U.S. In the East, the air pollution in the Smokies, Shenandoah, Mammoth Caves, Acadia parks is largely blown in from old coal-fired power plants. Now, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, these old plants are except from complying with certain provisions in the Clean Air Act, so they emit more sulfur dioxides and nitrogen dioxides -- pollution -- than modern plants. That is not to say industry emissions contribute as well.
Now, out West, Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park gets most of its pollution from traffic, the tailpipe emissions from millions of vehicles blown in from cities into the park. In Sequoia last year, ground ozone levels -- that is the not good ozone -- went above human health standards 61 days in the summer, which puts people, especially those with asthma, at risk. Acadia National Park's big trouble is acid rain -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Wow!
What about remedies? Help us out here. There has got to be something we can do.
KELLAN: Well, some of the remedies they are looking for are cleaning up the Clean Air Act, trying to get those old coal fire plants to go up top the standards of the modern plants. Also, emission standards. And no, this group does not think that the Bush administration is doing an adequate job right now of requiring stricter emissions control and cleaning up the Clean Air Act.
PHILLIPS: All right, Ann Kellan. Thank you so much.
KELLAN: Sure enough.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
