St. Lucie's air among cleanest in nation

By SUZANNE WENTLEY April 27, 2006 St. Lucie County's air is some of the cleanest in the nation, according to a study to be released today by the American Lung Association.
Thanks in large part to sea breezes and a citizenry who fought a coal-burning power plant last year, the Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce areas combined have the 22nd lowest levels of ozone and microscopic particles in the air of any area in America, association executives said

"It doesn't mean we're not polluting the air," said Brenda Olsen, assistant CEO of the American Lung Association of Florida. "Because we're on a peninsula, we have the crosswinds that tend to blow our pollution to other places. We certainly have a lot more to do in terms of cleaning up the air."

The data in the report came from an air quality monitor, maintained by the state Department of Environmental Protection and located at the St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center. There are no monitors in Martin or Indian River counties.

The report ranked monitored cities based on the levels of "particle pollution" — microscopic solids from diesel trucks, school buses, trash burning and industrial emissions — and ozone, an invisible gas that irritates lungs.

Brevard County also ranked in the top 25 on the list of least polluted areas, but Escambia and Sarasota counties remained risky for residents who are elderly, infants or suffering from suppressed immune systems.

St. Lucie County also made the list of least polluted areas in the association's report last year. They have been analyzing the state and federal data since 2000.

Olsen said the decision against a coal-burning power plant last November by the St. Lucie County commission will help the area remain clean.

"The citizens and interested people were able to convince the local government that would not be a good idea," she said. "One of the things (politicians) tend to forget about is the respiratory health of people when they make decisions."

Charles Grande, the president of the St. Lucie Conservation Alliance, said the lack of industrial smokestacks, planning for "clean," research-based businesses and responsive elected officials have helped keep the air clean.

"The recent fight against the coal plant puts this in the forefront of our minds," he said. "We're not an industrial area. We have good air movement and lots of trees. Those are things that make for clean air."