Weeks and months of polluted air in Seattle is ‘unacceptable,’ says WashPIRG advocate

Even one day of breathing in polluted air is dangerous for people’s health, according to a new report released by the WashPIRG Foundation.

Washington town ‘might have poorest air quality on the planet’ due to wildfires

“Seattle, home to more than four million people, suffered through 47 days of elevated air pollution in 2020. And Spokane, home to more than half a million people, suffered 104 days of elevated air pollution,” said Nicole Walter, a WashPIRG Foundation advocate.

The report says that what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers a safe and acceptable level of air pollution is much higher than many international groups consider to be healthy.

Walter says there is no safe level of air pollution.

“Even one day of breathing in polluted air is dangerous for our health,” she said. “Several weeks and months is unacceptable, and we need to do more to deliver cleaner air for our communities.”

Don’t wait for skies to turn hazy to prepare for wildfire smoke

The center says that the use of fossil fuels is the primary source of air pollution and global warming, and that its continued use could make air quality even worse in the years to come. They recommend that we put more resources into renewable energy and public transportation.

WashPIRG identifies as an “independent, non-partisan group that works for consumers and the public interest.”