Air Quality

Those who travel by MARC train to get to work are in for a treat as Harford Commuter Assistance, elected officials and special guests will be on hand from 5:30 to 9 a.m. at the Edgewood MARC Train Station May 2, and the Aberdeen MARC Train Station May 8 with giveaways and light refreshments as well as commuting information as part of May's designation as Clean Commute Month. These are commuters who, day after day, board the MARC train heading south to Baltimore and other destinations, includingWashington, D.C.to get to work.

The Curtis Bay and Brooklyn neighborhoods in industrialized South Baltimore are among the most polluted in Maryland and even the nation, says a Washington-based environmental group, which is calling for tighter scrutiny of air quality there and curbs on diesel truck emissions. Drawing on federal data, the Environmental Integrity Project says the Curtis Bay zip code has the highest toxic air pollution from businesses and factories in the state, accounting for more than a third of all such emissions in the state and nearly 90 percent of of Baltimore city's total.  The neighborhood's emissions also rank 74th highest among all 8,948 zip codes nationwide, according to the group's report.

On an evening when the weather was unseasonably warm, the Edgewater Elementary School cafeteria was uncomfortably stuffy. Doors were opened to allow cooler air inside, providing some relief for dozens of parents, students and staff who assembled last week to hear a preliminary report on air quality at the school. Moments later, it was the report's findings that seemed to make many people uncomfortable. Parents said despite the fact that an independent consulting firm plans to take steps to control the mold growth it discovered in the school, they are still concerned about health issues for students.

A consulting firm hired by Anne Arundel County schools to test air quality at Edgewater Elementary School will meet with the school community on Tuesday. Ed Light, president of Ashton-based Building Dynamics LLC, said Friday that the company is conducting comprehensive evaluations and reviewing parents' and staff concerns. He said Building Dynamics will meet with the Edgewater community at 7 p.m. Tuesday and that a report would be issued when the firm's study is complete. Two weeks ago, a group of Edgewater parents, teachers, staff and students gathered at a school board public hearing and implored Anne Arundel school officials to prioritize improvements to the school's aging structure, which they say is fraught with health concerns.

I couldn't agree more with Rena Steinzor's commentary on air pollution ("Breathing uneasily," Sept. 8). President Obama's decision to reject his own Environmental Protection Agency's recommendation to strengthen air quality standards for ozone is a bad decision for anyone with lung and/orheart disease. Major ground-level ozone sources are motor vehicles, fossil fuel-driven power plants and other industrial sites. If President Obama is not responding to the public health needs of the millions of heart and lung disease sufferers who are affected by ozone pollution, it must be because he is only listening to the cries of the corporate CEOs of the above industries.

BET has a mixed history when it comes to news, documentaries and public affairs - and much of it is for the worse. With a former programming emphasis on music videos and a record of little or no serious commitment to news, questions have regularly been raised whether Black Entertainment Television was serving its audience or exploiting it. The paucity of serious news and first-rate public affairs programs was impossible not to notice. The National Association of Black Journalists gave BET its "Thumbs Down Award" in 2007.

The National Weather Service was calling for Thursday to be mostly cloudy in the Baltimore area, with a high near 90 degrees and south winds of 5 to 8 miles per hour. There is a 40 percent chance of showers after noon. The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange air quality alert for the Baltimore area. A Code Orange alert means that air pollution concentrations in the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, people with lung diseases and the elderly.

The National Weather Service was calling for Friday to be mostly sunny and hot in the Baltimore area, with a high near 102 degrees. Heat index values will be as high as 109. Breezes will be 4 to 7 miles per hour. Friday night is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low around 84 and west winds around 8 miles per hour. There is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. A heat advisory has been issued for the Baltimore area from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat illnesses.