Air quality takes a dip in St. Martin

St. Martin is one of 21 Louisiana parishes now failing to meet federal air pollution standards. Not that the air has gotten worsed but that EPA has set tighter new limits effective March 12.

According to the state Department of Environmental Quality, air must contain no more than 75 units of smog-causing ozone for every billion units of air, down from the previous maximum of 80 to 84 parts per billion.

While the limits have changed, plans to reduce emissions wouldn’t be due until June 2013, DEQ administrator Jennifer Mouton told reporters.

Without significant manufacturing, the most common cure is for gas stations to install vapor recovery systems on their pumps.

Air and ozone pollutants have been tied to a number of human health risks like asthma, as well as the deterioration of plastics and harming of plants.