Associated Press: Great Smoky Mountains National Park has third-worst smog levels for U.S. parks

From the Associated Press (reported in the Asheville Citizen-Times):

… It’s a problem in a handful of the nation’s 52 parks that are monitored constantly for ozone, including Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert and North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There were 12 days monitors recorded violations in the Smokies last year, putting the park at No. 3 on the list. …

Smog is created when the sun’s rays hit pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds that are in motor vehicle exhaust, solvents, pesticides, gasoline vapors and decaying dairy manure.

“There is no simple answer to ozone pollution,” said Thomas Cahill, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who studies air problems in Sequoia and across California. …

SHARE
About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.