Residents of metropolitan Washington experienced 20 unhealthy air days in 2023, the highest number of unhealthy days since 2012. Smoke from Canadian wildfires was a major contributor to this year’s increase.

The newly released data was presented by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) staff to the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC) on Wednesday, September 27 as part of the 2023 Ozone Season Summary Report. The report tracked unhealthy days due to two pollutants—ground-level ozone and fine particles. Seventeen days were classified as “code orange’ which means the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups like people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children, while three days were recorded as “code red” or unhealthy for everyone.

While smoke from the Canadian wildfires contributed to more unhealthy days due to fine particle pollution, it also exacerbated ozone pollution levels and overall air quality in the region in 2023. The report noted that there were 15 unhealthy air days due specifically to ground-level ozone pollution. It also showed a major downward trend, with only two unhealthy days experienced in 2022 compared to 77 just two decades earlier.

“This year’s increase in unhealthy air days shows that, despite vast improvements to air quality in the region, there is still much more that can be done to increase our resilience to extreme weather and ensure a safe and healthy environment in our communities,” said MWAQC Chair and District of Columbia Councilmember Anita Bonds. “Through our collective efforts to reduce pollution and improve environmental sustainability, we can lessen the severity and frequency of unhealthy air events thus improving the quality of life in communities.”

COG, which coordinates air quality planning and monitors pollution for the region, hopes to receive approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to declare several of the ozone exceedance days driven by wildfires as “exceptional events,” defined by the EPA as “serious events unlikely to recur at a particular location or natural events such as wildfires, that can have an exceptional/atypical impact on measured air pollution levels.” If the EPA grants approval, the region would likely comply with the current ozone standard. The region meets all other federal air quality standards.

Initiatives to reduce emissions of power plants, promote environmentally friendly travel options, and increase adoption of renewable energy have resulted in a sharp decline in the overall count of unhealthy air days each year, a trend that has remained relatively consistent for over a decade.

In addition to providing air quality forecasts and health advisories for the region, COG also sponsors Clean Air Partners program, with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, which educates the public on voluntary actions people can take to reduce pollution and avoid health risks resulting from bad air quality. As area leaders implement programs to increase adoption of electric vehicles, transition to renewable energy sources, and support green building practices, residents of the region are a crucial partner in reducing emissions.

“We all have a role to play in ensuring clean, healthy air in our region. Individual actions, such as limiting driving during unhealthy air events and transitioning to electric lawn equipment, work in tandem with local, state, and federal programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our climate goals,” said Jennifer Desimone, COG Air Programs Chief.

To learn more about actions you can take to improve air quality, visit cleanairpartners.net.

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Air Quality Progress Dashboard

Ozone Season Summary