Clean Air in Atlanta
What you can't see, can hurt you
Metro Atlanta is at a crossroads. For the past three decades, the region has experienced tremendous growth and prosperity to become one of the major urban centers in the U.S. But the rapid growth has come with a high cost.
©Charles Shoffner
Atlantans have a right to breathe clean air. SELC is working with many other groups to improve the region's air quality through better transportation planning and reduced power plant emissions
Today, air pollution is taking a serious toll on the health of Atlanta's citizens. Children suffer asthma at twice the rate of the national average. Atlantans routinely have to adjust or cancel outdoor activities to avoid 'bad air' days during the summer when health officials post red alerts for smog. On the other hand, soot and mercury pose health risks year-round. Scientific studies have confirmed the link between air pollution and serious health impacts, including heart disease, heart attacks, increased risk of death from lung cancer, and early deaths from heart and lung problems.
The majority of ozone pollution comes from growing numbers of cars and trucks in the ever-sprawling metropolitan area of Atlanta and the surrounding counties, fostered by unwise land-use policies. Soot and other pollution come from power plants in Georgia and other states. For over 25 years, metro Atlanta has failed to meet federal health standards for ozone pollution, placing it near the top of the country's most polluted cities.
After years of hard work by SELC and many others, there are signs that Atlanta's skies are clearing. SELC undertook a series of legal actions from 1999 to 2003 that compelled local, state and federal officials to redirect money from building ill-advised highways toward transportation alternatives that reduce the number of cars on the roads, curbing vehicle exhaust. Government and businesses in Atlanta are starting to change development patterns, focusing on more pedestrian-friendly communities and public transit.
But there is still much to be done. SELC and many others continue to advocate for expansion of transportation choices other than single-occupancy vehicles, and for smarter land use decisions that restrain sprawling development. We are working to persuade decision-makers that clean, healthy air is one of the keys to Atlanta's continued prosperity. SELC is also working at the national level to prevent the rollback of clean air standards for the dirtiest coal-fired power plants, including mercury emissions, a public health problem of growing concern.
