Document pBEr4MaO9p9DV3Ky4vnBdd296

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1972 Feb 9 DOC NMA060 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION NYT - City Air Found % Dirtier Than in '69 Air City Found % Dirtier Than in '69 By DAVID BIRD New York Times Currentfile Feb 9 1972 ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times 1851 - 2 pg 20 City Air Found % Dirtier Than 69 By DAVID ATROD City officials conceded publicly for the first time yesterday that one of the key air pollutants here pended particulate matter or had increased 7 per cent over the last threa years despite stepped con- trol efforts Previously the city had been emphasizing another air pollutant - sulphur_di- sulphur_di- irritating that oxide an 50 has been reduced per cent over the last three years mainly as a result of regulations requiring the burning of sulphur fuel The daily pollution in- dex that the city's Depart- ment of Air Resources issues each afternoon which classi- fies air on ranging scale ranging from good un- does not include healthy the readings on suspended particulates The index therefore has indicated that the air was getting better and better over the last few years Yes- terday for example air quality was reported as good " Index Being Reconsidered particulate But publisher reports of rising readings has now led the city to re- consider the validity of the index it reports Perhaps the combination of elements that make up that report will have to be adjusted in the light of what we are finding out now said Jerome Kretchmer the city's Environmental Protection Ad- ministrator as a news con- ference yesterday Fred C. Hart the Acting Commissioner of Air Re- sources said he hoped to be able to expand the index to include such pollutants as nitrogen oxides as well as particulates Dr. Edward C. Ferrand head of the department's Bureau of Technical Services sald equipment a lack of accurate equipment had prevented the inclusion of all the relevant pollutants said the end the said this of year he hopes to overcome problem Asked if the Index would have been the same if partic ulates had been weighed in the readings Dr. Ferrand said Obviously not Mayor Lindsay in cam- palgning in Florida for the Demoratic Demoratic Presidential nor- ination has emphasized strongly tion what his administrahas done to clean up New York City's air telling The Mayor has been telling audiences in Florida that the number of unacceptable or unhealthy days declined by thirds from 1969 to 1971. Thomas B. Morgan the secretary Mayor's press the Mayor would revise said his remarks if a new index indi- cated different situation a According resources officials the adoption of a new index is unlikely for at least six months because of delays in getting equipment The city has been concen- trating on reducing sulphur dloxide because Mr. Kr^tch- mer said In recent times the problem was thought to be sulphur dioxide Now the problem seems to be particu- lates and we'll move to solve that problem now There is concern about particulates because by 1975 the city will be required to meet a Federal air quality standard of not more than 75 micrograms of suspended particulate matter & cubic meter of air The average reading in the city was 98 1969 and it rose to 104 in Although officials now recognize the particulate problem they are not sure how to deal with it Dirt in the air is a complex mix of everything from asbestos worn off automobile brake linings to soot from a faulty oil burner Commissioner Hart said measures to correct the par- ticulate situation might be as severe as banning the use of oil burner in certain sections of the city Buildings then would be required to use steam piped in for heat Although the city has made a sharp reduction in sulphur dioxide an average of hundredth parts a mil- lion parts of air in 1969 to hundredth parts a million last year Federal standard of hundredths still has not yet been reached City officials are confident however that that standard can be met the 1975 dead- line with reduction of fuel sudlatpehdur content now man- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permission