newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JOE TYRRELL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

New Jersey is one of only two states in the nation where smog levels exceed a healthy standard everywhere, according to new findings by federal environmental officials.

Every county in the state is a "non-attainment area" for ground-level ozone, created when the byproducts of combustion from traffic and industrial processes interact with sunlight and heat, according to the latest designations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Only Connecticut's air also fails so pervasively. Much of the nation complies with the standard of no more than 75 parts per billion ozone. In other states, problem areas are centered around major cites, such as the entire New York metropolitan area and counties around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The findings can be viewed here.

"We know that we need to do better, and we're committed to meet that standard by 2015," said Lawrence Ragonese, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

He noted New Jersey recently met the old standard, 85 parts per billion, but said the EPA's implementation of a tougher mark is "a good thing" for the state's air quality. While geography makes New Jersey susceptible to emissions from upwind power plants, the state can reduce its own generation of ozone, he said.

"We can't just say, 'It's all their fault,'" Ragonese said. "We also have to work on our own state sources," by steps such as continuing to shift in-state power plants away from coal and oil power, adopting solar and wind power, and retrofitting all NJ Transit buses, as well as other state and local government vehicles.

EPA actually developed even tougher standards in 2008, but politics has delayed their implementation. As it stands, the new rule is weaker than the recommendation of the agency's scientific advisory panel, 60-70 parts per billion. The EPA's initial regulation would have set the ceiling at the upper end of this range, 70 ppb. But President Barack Obama changed course after lobbying by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and the Business Roundtable.

The issue grabbed the spotlight in New Jersey last month, when the Christie Administration pulled out of a lawsuit filed by other states, health and environmental groups in an attempt to force presidents — first George W. Bush, then Obama — to adopt the tougher rules. The move prompted criticism from environmentalists, who said the Governor ignored the state's interests in favor of his own prospects in the national Republican Party.

“There is a direct connection between high levels of ozone and people having to go to hospital for asthma," said Jeff Tittel, executive director of the state chapter of the Sierra Club. "With the Governor having asthma himself, he should know better."

In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects against ultraviolet radiation. But at lower levels, it causes or exacerbates a range of respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including asthma.

While all of New Jersey is affected by high ozone levels, except in summer, the state usually does not fail the new standard by much. All 21 counties are classified as "marginal," meaning they generally are close to rule. That is true for most parts of the country that fail, except large swaths of California, particularly parts of Los Angeles metropolitan area and the San Joaquin Valley, which EPA classified as having "extreme" ozone levels under the regulations.

Other parts of the state, including the Sacramento metropolitan area, Ventura, and two tribal areas, are labeled as having "severe" or "serious" non-compliance. But large areas in northern California and along the Nevada border comply with the new limits, according to the EPA.

Joe Tyrrell may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or followed on Twitter @ jtyrrell87