When you think about a national park, you probably think about fresh air, but the fact is that pollution blows through many of our parks, including the Shenandoah. The EPA came up with a rule to address air quality, but park advocates complain that the Trump administration is getting in the way of improvements.
Air pollution is a health hazard -- and it can spoil your enjoyment of great views.
“Regional haze makes clear days murky," says Stephanie Kodish with the National Parks Conservation Association. "It interferes with your ability to see the mountains in the distance or see the different landscapes fully. You know on average we are missing 50 miles of visibility across our national parks, and that’s because of pollution.”
The EPA was especially worried about the parks, including Shenandoah, when it approved a rule to reduce haze.
“Shenandoah is one of the protected areas under the Clean Air Act," Kodish explains. "It’s supposed to have the best air quality in the country. It’s one of 48 national parks that have that status.”
So far, Kodish says, the rule has helped improve air quality. Now, however, the Trump administration has issued new guidelines which the association calls confusing. The organization says those guidelines make it easier for states to put off actions and allow polluters to operate without clean air controls.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
