Florida has once again hit a milestone for clean air.
For the fifth consecutive year, the state has met all federal air quality standards, according to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). That makes Florida the most populous state in the nation to hit those marks — a point DEP officials say is driven by Florida’s broad monitoring network and pollution controls.
DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert said the milestone reflects years of work with partners in the public and private sectors.
“Florida’s continued success in meeting federal air quality standards shows that protecting our environment goes hand-in-hand with supporting a strong economy,” Lambert said. “By working with communities, businesses and partners across the state, we’re keeping our air clean, our residents healthy and our economy thriving.”
The Environmental Protection Agency sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particle pollution and sulfur dioxide. Meeting those standards means Florida’s air, on average, is cleaner than that of many peer states, despite rapid growth and development.
Industrial emissions in Florida have declined 78% since 2000, DEP noted, while ozone levels — the state’s most ubiquitous pollutant — have dropped nearly 50% over the past two decades. DEP says those declines are a product of years of joint work between state regulators and local industries.
The state has 180 air quality monitors at 90 sites across Florida, allowing analysts to stay on top of the issues and provide real-time information to concerned parties.
The DEP’s air monitoring efforts include its “My Air Quality[1]” interactive map that displays air quality levels across the state in real time. They also offer tools[2] to compare air quality around the globe, a partner tool kit with resources to help increase air quality, educator resources, and videos and facts about air quality in Florida.
This report is the latest in a string of positive assessments. DEP has repeatedly highlighted progress in its annual reports dating back to 2021.[3][4][5][6]
Florida’s population has surged past 23 million, putting increasing pressure on infrastructure, industry and natural resources. Yet the state has managed to sustain federal compliance across every metric for five straight years. That’s a benchmark many states — especially those with heavy industrial bases — have struggled to maintain.
And the latest DEP report adds to a series of studies highlighting the state’s air quality. An American Lung Association survey last year listed Cape Coral, Sarasota, Orlando and Jacksonville among the cleanest metro areas in the nation for ozone and particle pollution.[7]
And earlier this year, research from Florida A&M and Tuskegee universities found air in the Glades region remained within federal standards even during sugarcane harvest season, with most measured pollution tied to dust and outside wildfire activity.[8]
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References
- ^ My Air Quality (floridadep.gov)
- ^ They also offer tools (floridadep.gov)
- ^ the latest (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ positive assessments (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ annual reports (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ 2021 (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ American Lung Association survey (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ earlier this year (floridapolitics.com)