Washington, DC – The nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today releases a new report, Turning Point, which reveals air pollution is a system-wide challenge for the national parks with one in three parks—more than 150 of the 390 national park units in the National Park System—located in parts of the country where air pollution exceeds federal standards. NPCA’s Turning Point makes the case the national parks are now at a crossroads on air pollution because just as pollution reduction programs implemented over the past two decades are starting to show modest improvements at some parks, the nation is developing new energy sources in ways that threaten to undo years of effort to clean the air in the parks.

"The country is poised to build a whole new generation of coal-fired power plants based on outdated designs, and oil and gas development is proceeding at record pace near national parks in the West," said NPCA Clean Air Director Mark Wenzler. "These two forces are likely to erase decades of hard-fought improvements to national park air quality unless we act now—this is our Turning Point."

Through individual park stories, Turning Point highlights the multi-layered impacts of air pollution on parks. The report addresses impacts of air pollution on animal habitat, visitor health, the symbols of our nation’s heritage, and the stunning scenic horizons in the parks. Some national parks included are Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert, Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida, and Yellowstone in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Examples:  

== Mammoth Cave National Park

"Air pollution threatens the very essence of what Americans value most about our national parks," said Wenzler. "Pollution destroys habitat for plants and animals, endangers the health of park visitors and staff, damages the symbols of our nation’s heritage, and clouds once-majestic horizons in our national parks. The good news is we don’t have to sacrifice our national treasures to meet our growing energy demands."

NPCA’s report offers ten recommendations for cleaning the air in the national parks:

1. Finish the job of cleaning up outdated power plants

2. Require new power plants to use the lowest polluting technologies

3. Protect wildlife by limiting the amount of air pollution deposited in the parks

4. Ensure that legal limits on park air pollution are not exceeded

5. Eliminate toxic "hot spots" by enacting stronger power plant mercury controls

6. Address climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions

7. Expand programs to monitor and reduce air pollution in the parks

8. Promote clean, renewable domestic energy supplies

9. Fully fund the National Park System

10. Encourage concerned citizens to minimize their contribution to air pollution in the parks

In addition, NPCA calls for balanced energy policies that meet growing demand while protecting the national parks. With a new Secretary of the Interior in place and a new National Park Service director on the way, there is an opportunity for renewing our national commitment to clean air in our parks. Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has already demonstrated his commitment to strong clean air protections for our national parks by finalizing strong Management Policies for the National Park Service that protect park air quality.

MORE INFORMATION: 

Senators Carper and Alexander Statement on Turning Point report
List of the 150 national parks located in poor air quality areas as designated by the EPA
General information on Air pollution and the national parks