Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks
Full Report (4.44 MB)“Polluted Parks” graded the pollution-related damage in the 48 national parks required by the Clean Air Act to have the highest possible air quality.
Every one of the 48 national parks with the greatest Clean Air Act protections are plagued by significant air pollution.
Polluted Parks: Fact Sheets
Haze pollution limits views of our most valued national parks and wilderness areas, affecting not just how far we can see, but also the color, sharpness, and quality of the…
See more ›Air quality in parks can be as bad – or worse – than in some major cities due to emissions from outdated coal plants and other sources of pollution. While progress has been made in reducing air pollution in national parks, pollution still damages air quality in all parks, most often during the busy summer season.
“Polluted Parks” graded the pollution-related damage in the 48 national parks required by the Clean Air Act to have the highest possible air quality. The report highlights twelve parks across the nation that earned a D or lower in at least one of three categories – threat to public health, hazy skies, and impacts from climate change.
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General
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- Parks:
- Acadia National Park
- Big Bend National Park
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Saguaro National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Yosemite National Park
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Issues
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Press Release
District Court Ruling Endangers National Parks, Historic Jamestown
This destructive and unlawfully built project degrades the historic landscape including surrounding national park sites, and threatens the endangered Atlantic sturgeon.
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Press Release
Interior Department Accelerates Public Lands Giveaway
"National parks could be next on the chopping block. Today’s move by the Interior Department poses a real and immediate threat to national parks in Utah and across the West."…
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Press Release
Riverside County Rejects Destructive New City Near Joshua Tree National Park
Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejects city proposal that threatened Joshua Tree National Park wildlife, night skies and surrounding communities.
