Fairbanks air quality has been horrible in recent weeks. The federal fine particulate pollution standard was exceeded on 19 days in December and has done so every day so far this month. Borough Air Quality technician Jim McCormick says smoke from wood burning and atmospheric conditions are combing to degrade local air. McCormick says recent conditions have been the worst since 2008, when the Environmental Protection Agency tightened the fine particulate standard from 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35. McCormick says Fairbanks would have been in violation on only five days last month under the old standard. The borough monitors air quality in several spots in Fairbanks and North Pole. McCormick says particulates are primarily an urban problem.
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Download Audio (MP3)
