Regional Haze and Communities
Meet the advocates fighting for clean air in their communities today
Haze pollution harms not only our national parks but, oftentimes, disproportionately burdened communities around them.
NPCA engages people across the nation to fight haze pollution, air pollution which harms human health and obscures scenic views in our national parks. Haze pollution travels hundreds of miles from its original source, affecting both nearby communities and public lands as it crosses state lines.
3.7x
people of color are 3.7 times more likely to live in an area with poor air quality than white people.
Unfortunately, haze polluters also tend to operate near low-income neighborhoods and communities of color facing chronic environmental injustices. In fact, people of color are 3.7 times more likely to live in an area with poor air quality than white people, according to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” 2023 report.
Since the early 2000s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has directed states, through required State Implementation Plans aimed at reducing haze pollution, to take into consideration the intersection of people’s health and historic inequities. These plans address the need to consider air pollution’s impact on visibility across national parks and communities which rely on them, tailored to each state’s unique geography and industrial pollution sources. Yet many, if not most, states have not considered disproportionate impacts to frontline communities, caused by polluters across the nation, in their currently proposed Regional Haze plans.
NPCA and our experts work to ensure that EPA’s Regional Haze Program curbs air pollution, both for national parks and the communities situated near sources of haze-causing emissions. But we could not do it without everyday people lifting their voices and personal stories to tell lawmakers their communities need meaningful change to protect the air they breathe daily as well as our beloved public lands.
Read on for their stories and access more information about our haze efforts below.
Regional Haze
Clear Solutions for Parks
Millions of people visit U.S. national parks and wilderness areas each year to see some of the most awe-inspiring views in the world. Visitors imagine national parks as having the freshest air for exercising, relaxing and sharing memories. But over the decades, haze pollution has degraded visibility and harmed public health in our parks and surrounding communities.
Stories
REGIONAL HAZE ADVOCATE
Air pollution knows no bounds, and wild spaces such as Everglades National Park are not the only things at risk. The people of the tri-city area deserve better, too.
Regional Haze Advocate
For far too long, polluters in Georgia have been allowed to spew dirty air into our communities – the EPA must hold the state accountable to restore clean and clear skies.
Regional Haze Advocate
As a biologist and former healthcare worker, Patricia has been on the frontline of advocating for her community and the cleanup of one of the largest unscrubbed coal-fired power plants left in the United States.
Regional Haze Advocate
A Snoqualmie Tribal member living in Seattle, Washington, Martin works for her tribe working on a variety of issues including the protection of cultural resources and land acquisition.
