WDNR - With each breath of air, Wisconsin residents have good reason to celebrate the accomplishments of 40 years of cleaner air, according to state environmental officials. May is Clean Air Month and 2010 is the 40th anniversary of the landmark Clean Air Act of 1970.
"We breathe cleaner air today because of 40 years of action on air pollution -- a success story for all of us," noted Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank.
Governments and industries throughout the United States have addressed high, peak levels of air pollution in areas that caused acute health effects. But the scientific understanding of air pollution and its health effects has grown and health researchers say people would benefit from even lower levels of air pollution. Technology to further reduce air pollution levels is also improving.
Wisconsin has taken a number of steps to reduce air pollution, including:
- Sulfur dioxide emissions from electric utilities in the state were 46 percent lower by 1990 after passage of Wisconsin's groundbreaking acid rain law in 1986 and the acidity of precipitation in the state had decreased accordingly.
- All 11 southeastern counties identified as not meeting the federal one-hour standard for ozone levels in 1993 now do meet that standard. The six counties listed as severe nonattainment areas met the one-hour standard two years ahead of the mandated date of 2007.
- A mercury pollutant rule, adopted in 2008 under Gov. Jim Doyle's directive, has the state's four major utilities on track to reduce their mercury emissions by 40 percent by the end of this year. It also requires the large coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury by 90 percent by 2015 or meet that target six years later but also reduce multiple pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
"Emissions from all sources contributing to ozone and fine particle pollution declined more than 30 percent between 1990 and 2005 alone." Frank said. "Businesses, home owners, local governments, commuters and others are committed to become more energy efficient in order to further reduce emissions and benefit from the savings."
During the month of May and throughout the rest of 2010, the DNR will be celebrating Clean Air Month and the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act.
Read more Highlights at WDNR and Air Management Program