Regional Haze and Communities
Environmental Justice and Regional Haze
Haze pollution harms not only our national parks but, oftentimes, vulnerable 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. To make matters worse, haze pollution travels hundreds of miles from its original source, affecting nearby communities and even crossing state lines.
1.5x
people of color are 1.5 times more likely to live in an area with poor air quality than white people
Unfortunately, haze polluters also tend to operate near communities of color and other populations which face environmental justice challenges. In fact, people of color are 1.5 times more likely to live in an area with poor air quality than white people, according to the American Lung Association’s 2020 “State of the Air” report.
Since the 1990s, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has directed states, through 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 demographic makeup. Yet many, if not most, states have not considered disproportionate impacts to frontline communities, caused by polluters across the nation, in their currently proposed plans.
NPCA and our experts work to ensure that EPA’s Regional Haze Program takes aim at curbing air pollution, both for national parks and the communities situated near sources of haze pollution. But we could not do it without everyday people using their voices to tell lawmakers their communities need meaningful change in order to protect their clean air and beloved public lands.
For more information on the types of pollution affecting each region across the United States – and the tools we use to protect communities from it – please visit our Regional Haze web page.
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 cleanest water and 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.
Environmental Justice Screens Indicators
These factors measure both environmental and economic indexes to establish a community’s overall vulnerability. These demographics are sourced from census data.
