It all started in the late 1980s, Koepke said, when Milwaukee was named one of the country's nine most polluted metro areas. By 1995, Milwaukee had become one of 17 metro areas required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to use cleaner-burning, more costly reformulated gas. Since then, Milwaukee has made progress cleaning up its air, say Koepke, elected officials and at least some environmentalists. The Lung Association's study, which is based on EPA air quality measurements, also shows the improvement. The Milwaukee area, which used to violate federal clean air standards about 20 days a year, now records about five violations a year, Koepke said.
Ozone is created, among other ways, by gas-burning automobiles.
Ozone is a precursor to smog, which causes respiratory disorders and other health problems. Despite the improved air quality, Milwaukee motorists still are required to use the special blend of fuel known as reformulated gas to fight air pollution. But Koepke and other environmentalists are not pushing for an end to the use of reformulated gas here, despite its high cost. Otherwise, the air would soon resume its former smoggy state, he said. If we're still sending people to the hospital, we still have a problem we need to fix.