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Politics
09/04/2002
Listen in RealAudio 
This past summer, scientists supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) conducted experiments to study the air quality in the Northeastern U.S. Measurements
were taken at stations along the east coast; including onboard the 274 foot research vessel,
the Ronald H. Brown. The experiments were designed to map regional air quality and help
determine why the Northeast has some of the dirtiest air in the nation. Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton
and this is The Weather Notebook. New Hampshire Senator, Judd Gregg, a major supporter of
study, recently spoke about the importance of investigating New England's regional atmosphere
at a press conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
JG: Regrettably, New England has often been referred to as the tailpipe of America's disposal
of environmental activity in the air. We're downwind from the mid-west. Now it appears that
we're downwind of Washington and New York, but we’re upwind if it blows out into the ocean and
comes back at us.
The study is funded by NOAA and is a collaborative effort by a variety of institutions
including the University of New Hampshire and the Mount Washington Observatory. It is
designed to map what pollution in the atmosphere is naturally occurring, which is manmade, and
where it's coming from.
The purpose of the New England Air Quality Study is to take the data obtained and provide
information to policy makers, so they can make educated environmental decisions, including the
possible reinstatement of the Clean Air Act.
JG: Some of us feel rather strongly that we should have action taken to reduce the amount of
emissions that come into New England. I am of the view that we will develop a bill that will
be very aggressive and very strong out of the Senate.
This study is expected to continue in 2004 with a new air sampling initiative.
Thanks today to assistant producer, Doug Sanborn. The Weather Notebook is a production of the
Mount Washington Observatory and is supported generously by Subaru of America and the National
Science Foundation.
Today's Links
More
http://www.unh.edu/news/Aug01/sk_20010822airmap.html
Airmap site
http://airmap.unh.edu/
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