For the second summer in a row, Connecticut had the most smog-filled days in New England, even though the state did improve 37 percent.
Connecticut had 17 days of unhealthy ozone – also known as smog – in the summer, according to a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ozone is caused when air pollution, mostly from cars, mixes with heat and sunshine during hot summer days.
While Connecticut had 17 days of smog, all the five other states in New England had 21 combined: Rhode Island with seven, Massachusetts with six, Maine with five, New Hampshire with four; and Vermont with zero. All those days can overlap as Connecticut can experience ozone on the same day as Rhode Island or Massachusetts.
Connecticut’s pollution count did improve in 2013, as the state had 27 ozone days in 2012, which was the highest for any New England state this year.
Overall, the trend for the region is for less smog. In 2013, New England had 20 ozone days, down from 29 in 2012. Looking back 30 years ago, New England had 113 smog days in 1983.
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