Baltimore Smog Meets Federal Limit For First Time
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Scientists have announced that Baltimore's smog levels no longer exceed the limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency, but some people are still at risk from breathing the air.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the city's air quality, which has been steadily improving since the early 2000s, has for the first time met the standards of the Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1970.
Officials say the air quality was helped by two recent unusually cool summers.
Russell Dickerson, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Maryland, says another hot summer could push the area once again past the federal standard.
Because the air is still a danger for many children and those with respiratory problem, the EPA says it is considering lowering the ozone limit further.
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