Lung Assoc.: York County's air quality improved in some respects, got worse in others
York County got its air quality report card, and in the best case, it could be akin to a teacher writing that improvement needs to be made.
The grade for air quality in the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon metro area, according to the American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report, was mixed.
Particle pollution in the region worsened for the third consecutive year, earning a grade of F and ranking it as the 37th most polluted region in the country and having second-most dirty air in the mid-Atlantic area, ranking only behind the Pittsburgh area.
But ozone pollution – which is the most damaging to lung tissue – did improve, earning the region a B grade. In York County, the report listed zero ozone action from 2020 to 2022, earning the county an A in that category.
However, the overall conclusion of the report was that the county’s air quality failed, once again. Its grade had improved briefly, but overall, Kevin Stewart, the association’s director of environmental health, said, it’s “not as good” as it should be.
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Stewart said the level of ozone pollution showed “significant improvement” - York County earned an A for the lack of ozone pollution – but “unfortunately, the levels of particle pollution are pretty bad.”
The report does not reflect the pollution caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires last summer. Stewart said that the effects of that event would be reported next year.
The proliferation of warehouses and logistics hubs in the county – which has been a subject of contention recently - “certainly” contributes to its poor air quality, Stewart said.
It has been improving, though. Compared to 20 years ago, he said, the highway fleet is “a lot cleaner.” But the volume of traffic to and from the warehouses does contribute to pollution.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York County PA air quality report card mixed
