Hudson Valley air quality fails in Lung Association analysis

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MID-HUDSON – Orange was the only county of those monitored in the Hudson Valley for high ozone (smog) levels to have a relatively decent air quality, according to the American Lung Association’s annual report.

The analysis, released on Wednesday, gave Orange County a letter grade of “C” for the period of 2015-2017, the same grade as last year’s report.

Dutchess County scored a “D,” the same as last year. Westchester received an “F,” the same as in 2018. Rockland and Putnam also failed with Putnam losing ground. Last year the county had a grade of “D.”

Orange is the only county in the region to have a monitor for high particle (soot) pollution and the county scored a grade of “A,” also the same as last year.

Elizabeth Hamlin-Beringer, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in New York, said the organization is keeping the heat on the air quality issues in New York and around the nation.

“The Lung Association will continue to support bills that ban the idling of vehicles, that eliminate the use of wood boilers, reduce exposure to unhealthy air and improve infrastructure for electronic vehicles,” Hamlin-Beringer said. “The American Lung Association will support efforts for the state to facilitate a transition to zero emissions vehicles. Additionally, we continue to oppose any rollbacks to clean air standards at the federal and state level.”

Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and author of the report, said unfortunately the Trump Administration is attempting to roll back clean air standards. Michael Seilback, national assistant vice president for state public policy for the American Lung Association, said climate change has had a “dramatic impact” on air quality.




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