Air

History of Air:

Middle Ages use of coal in cities such as London was beginning to escalate and caused air pollution

1875 Public Health Act contained smoke abatement section to try and reduce smoke pollution in urban areas, this had a lot to do with the urban smog escalating.

1904 Philadelphia passed an ordinance to regulate emission of smoke from chimneys, stacks, flues or open spaces, providing a color scale for the measurement of the degree of darkness of such smoke, making it unlawful to permit the escape of smoke of a certain degree of darkness and providing a penalty for the violation of the ordinance. It was enforced by the Bureau of Boiler Inspectors.

1926 Smoke Abatement Act was aimed to reducing smoke emissions from industrial sources but sources remained significant.

1948 A City Council ordinance established The Division Of Air Pollution Control and The Air Pollution Control Board in the Bureau Of Health in the Department Of Public Health, defining their power and duties, providing for administration and enforcement and fixing penalties. The Agency was created in 1949.

1954 A City Council ordinance prohibited open burning and limited smoke emissions.

1954 Environmental Health Services was created. Air Pollution Control became a Section of Environmental Health Services.

1955 Congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act.

From 1956 to 1963 sulfur dioxide levels in the City of Philadelphia fell almost in half, and particulate levels declined by 25%.

1958 Inspectors began routine inspections for area surveillance, permit and license

checks, hazardous gas and vapor emissions and in response to reports and concerns from the public.

1964 Air Management Services’ new laboratory was dedicated, providing a new modern facility for operation of its air monitoring and sampling activities. establish air quality objectives and to achieve these goals through the enforcement of regulations. Philadelphia’s air pollution control program was back in business.

From 1969 to 1971 931 incinerators closed down or were sealed during implementation of the new regulations. Peco (Philadelphia Electric Company) reduced sulfur emissions by 61% and particulate emissions by 86%.

1967 The U.S. Clean Air Act Amendment converted criteria pollutant levels into

requirements.

1970 Congress passed the Clean Air Act Amendments.

1971 The first annual Earth Day was celebrated.

1971 Philadelphia’s Asbestos Control Regulations were written.

1981 Philadelphia adopted Air Quality Guidelines for 99 toxic air pollutants.

1997 Stricter National Ambient Air Quality Standards go into effect, including ozone and fine particulate

Trajectory:

• Recent studies have identified respiratory and cardiac effects, cancer and even mortality risks for populations living near major roads
• Indoor air quality in buildings near roadways and underscore the need to understand the general health impacts on people living near traffic
• EPA is pursuing an understanding how climate change and air quality interact and the consequences for public health and the environment 
• Future temperature increases will increase air pollution levels in some regions of the country 

Goldilocks Scale:

Neighborhood - Public gardens with plants that absorb harmful gases. As well as holding public farmer stands that sell plants to heal indoor air quality. 

Cassidy Stoughton, Christina Mecca, Briana Wight