Chicago breathing more bad air during last decade, report says

The number of days of bad air in the Chicago area rose in the lastdecade, according to a national report released Tuesday.

The region averaged 10.4 unhealthy ozone days per year from 1993to 1997, and 12.6 days from 1998 through last year--a 21 percentincrease.

That's a bigger increase than New York, which had 19 percent moreunhealthy days, or Los Angeles, which fell an impressive 59 percent.

The good news for Chicago is that its air remains much cleanerthan in either of those two coastal cities. Its 12.6 ozone days peryear in 1998-2002 compared with 20 in New York and 36.4 in L.A.--nearly three times Chicago's totals.

The findings are from a study by the Washington, D.C.-basedSurface Transportation Policy Project, which keeps track oftransportation's effect on the environment and energy use.

Cars and trucks poured 1.8 million tons of pollution into theChicago area in 1999, more than New York (1.27 million tons) and notfar behind Los Angeles (1.9 million tons).

Here, the dirty highway emissions accounted for 47.8 percent ofall air pollution.

The public health cost in metropolitan Chicago from transportation-related pollution was estimated for 2001 at $1.03 billion.

Helping publicize the report was the Center for NeighborhoodTechnology. Jacky Grimshaw, the Chicago agency's vice president forpolicy, said, "For planning in the region, the first transportationsolution is more highways or expanded highways." But, better toexpand public transportation, such as extending the CTA's Blue Lineto Lisle and Oak Brook, she said.

In another bow to the car, "The mayor's zoning reform commissionis looking at mandating two parking spaces for every dwelling unit,"Grimshaw said. "Bad idea."

Anne Canby, president of the Surface Transportation PolicyProject, noted in a telephone conference with reporters that cars andtrucks are responsible for more than half the carbon monoxide, 37percent of nitrous oxide, 27 percent of smog-forming compounds and 10percent of particulate matter.

She warned, "Congress is considering changes that would weaken theClean Air Act."

Dr. Luz Claudio of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York saidhealth damage done by dirty air falls disproportionately on the poor.In one East Harlem elementary school, 40 percent of the kids had beendiagnosed with asthma at some time, and 26 percent showed activesymptoms, she said.

HEALTH TIPS

Today is an Ozone Action Day, the fifth of the summer, thePartners for Clean Air and Illinois Environmental Protection Agencysaid Tuesday.

Continued hot weather and light winds forecast for the daypromised to push levels of ozone smog to unhealthy levels.

People are advised to keep cool and limit physical activity.

Ways to help include:

*Drive only if necessary,

*Refuel cars after 7 p.m.

*Avoid use of power lawn mowers

*Start charcoal fires with an electric starter instead of lighterfluid.