The following is a release from the EPA

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 1, 2012) – As the 2012 summer ozone season comes to an end, EPA today confirmed that New Englanders experienced a modest increase in the number of poor air quality days this year, compared to 2011.

Based on preliminary data collected between April and September, there were 29 days when ozone monitors in New England recorded concentrations above the air quality health standard. By contrast, in 2011 there were a total of 16 unhealthy ozone days. However, over the longer term air quality in New England continues to improve.

The number of unhealthy ozone days in each state this summer were as follows: 27 days in Connecticut (compared to 14 in 2011); 17 days in Massachusetts (10 in 2011); 12 days in Rhode Island (6 in 2011); 4 days in Maine (3 in 2011); 4 days in New Hampshire (2 in 2011); and 0 days in Vermont (1 in 2011). Ground-level ozone is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups when average concentrations exceed 0.075 parts per million over an 8-hour period.

The increase in the number of days with unhealthy air this summer was directly related to the increase in the number of hot days this summer. Intense sunshine and hot weather influence the formation of ozone; many areas of New England had more days exceeding 90 degrees this summer than during last summer. Although the 2012 ozone season is ending, pollution from small particles in the air is a year-round concern.

Although warm temperatures this summer led to an increase in unhealthy days, over the long-term, New England has experienced a decreasing number of unhealthy ozone days. For example, in 1983, New England had 113 unhealthy days, compared with 29 this summer, a 74 percent decline.

“When we look back to the air quality conditions a generation ago, we can feel proud of the advances we have made in reducing air pollution,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office. “The unhealthy days we experienced this summer, however, remind us that our efforts to improve air quality must continue. All of us can make a difference by choosing to drive cleaner, fuel efficient cars and conserving energy in our daily lives.”

Ground-level ozone (smog) is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses give off the majority of the pollution that makes ozone. Fossil fuel burning at electric generating stations, also produce significant amounts of smog-making pollution. Gas stations, print shops, household products like paints and cleaners, as well as gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, also contribute to smog formation.

After five years and a protracted court case, a dormant asphalt plant is coming back to life in Norwood despite the continued objections of town officials and neighbors who fought the project tooth and nail, and lost.

Read more of Michele Morgan Bolton's story here.

The Sierra Club, along with a number of partners, is screening the movie Coal Country tonight in Worcester. The movie traces the life cycle of coal- from its beginnings in the mountains of Appalachia to processing, burning for energy, and disposal. The screening, which will be followed by a discussion about the use of coal in Massachusetts (one quarter of Massachusetts' electricity comes from coal), is part of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.

Wednesday March 9th, 6:30pm
Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square

By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

A proposal by Governor Deval Patrick's administration to ban baby bottles and infant sippy cups containing a chemical suspected of hampering childhood development drew scrutiny today from public health regulators, who expressed worries that the plastic ingredient might be replaced with something more dangerous.

"My concern is the unintended consequences," said Dr. Alan Woodward, a member of the state Public Health Council, the appointed panel that would have to approve the prohibition. "My concern is that we may find out five to 10 years down the line that compounds in the replacement are more toxic."

The chemical, Bisphenol A, has been implicated in an array of health problems, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and brain abnormalities. Adults and children can ingest small amounts of the substance, known by the shorthand BPA, when drinking from cups and bottles or consuming the contents of canned goods with lining containing the chemical.