Valley smog puts kids' health at risk
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The Valley is again among the worst metros in the country for ozone pollution, putting the health of nearly 1.4 million Arizona kids at risk, per the American Lung Association's 2026 "State of the Air" report released Wednesday.
Why it matters: Infants, children and teens are most susceptible to the effects of air pollution because their lungs are still developing, per the report.
- Exposure to smog during childhood has been linked to reduced lung growth, asthma and increased risk of respiratory diseases.
The big picture: The report comes a month after the EPA announced that Maricopa County won't be punished for failing to meet federal ozone standards.
How it works: Ozone forms when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — which come from wildfires, paints, pesticides, etc. — combine with oxides of nitrogen, produced primarily by fossil fuel vehicle emissions.
- Some VOCs and oxides of nitrogen are produced locally, but many are carried in the wind from other parts of Arizona, as well as California, Mexico and even Asia.
- These elements need sunlight to interact and form ozone, and with an average of 330 days of sunshine per year, the Valley is at a disadvantage.
Threat level: Maricopa County has failed to meet ozone pollution standards for about a decade and was slated to slide into "serious nonattainment" last summer, which would have required companies that open or expand factories locally to invest in expensive environmental offsets.
- This likely would have cost the Valley hundreds of millions of dollars, a state analysis predicted.
Yes, but: The Trump administration amended federal guidance last year to make it easier for counties like ours to prove their high ozone levels are at least partly caused by international pollutants outside of our control.
- The EPA last month announced it would not enact new regulations on Maricopa County, citing this new threshold.
Reality check: Federal punishment or not, the Valley's air is unhealthy.
- "This decision will lead to worsened air quality and less industry regulation at the expense of public health," said JoAnna Strother, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association.