Because of Maine’s location and west-to-east winds, the state gets the nickname as the
tailpipe of the nation. The fires from Canada and California, and the pollution from coal power
plants in the Midwest blow in the Maine direction. The public hearings on smog control are the
great interest to some in Maine.
In some sources, Maine was declared as a state that generally has some of the cleanest air
in the country, though Penobscot County ranked highest overall in terms of all three metrics the
study looked at, which include short-term and year-round particle pollution and ozone (Solomon,
2022).
However, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention (Maine
CDC), Maine has the highest rates of asthma in the U.S. (Prevention, 2023). Heart disease is the
leading cause of death in the United States and second only to cancer as the leading cause of
death in Maine (Arquilla, 2024). The low birth weights reported from several countries on the
adverse consequences of ambient air pollution on fetal/birth outcomes, including pre-term birth
and fetal growth restriction (Mainpublichealth, 2024). Ozone (O3), a gas at ambient conditions, is
considered either “good” or “bad” depending on its location in the atmosphere. “Good” ozone is
found in the stratosphere approximately 10 to 30 miles above the earth's surface in a layer where
the presence of ozone serves to protect the earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Ground-
level ozone has detrimental effects both on human health and on vegetation and is therefore
considered “bad” ozone. Ozone is not usually emitted from sources as a pollutant directly into
the air. At ground level, ozone is formed by a reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Sunlight and hot weather
facilitate ground-level ozone formation in potentially harmful concentrations; as a result, ozone
is known as a summertime air pollutant. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, the EPA has
