Kansas City/Overland Park this year made it onto the American Lung Association list of the 25 most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Ground level ozone for anyone that doesn't know is not a good thing for our lungs, especially for those with respiratory illnesses as well as for children.
I stood in Loose Park, on the corner of Wornall and 55th street not long ago, watching the morning traffic. It was around 7:30 and the temperature was already over 70 degrees. The great majority of the slow moving cars, trucks and vans had only one occupant. It was not the pleasant smell of flowers that hung in the air as the vehicles waited at the stoplight.
Ozone is formed in a reaction between sunlight and some potentially unpleasant greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides, methane and carbon monoxide.
In addition, plant scientists have been conducting studies on the possible damage to plants because of ground-level ozone. There are some indications that ozone can damage plants in such a way that it reduces their effectiveness in soaking up surplus carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Kansas City area has violated the Clean Air Act several times this summer. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering more stringent standards for ozone levels in our region. Who among us will say it's just too difficult to comply?
The deadline for submitting comments to the EPA is October 9th.
