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San Diego Gets Failing Grade for Air Polution

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Millions of Americans are breathing unhealthy, polluted air as reported in the latest ‘State of the Air’ Report from the American Lung Association. While strong improvements have been made in many cities, including San Diego, there is much room for improvement. Overall, San Diego has received a failing grade in this year’s report.

If there’s anything to be proud of, this year San Diego did not make the list of most polluted, as it has in the past. The number of unhealthy ozone days in San Diego dropped from 80 in 2000 to 9 in this year’s report.

The 16th annual national report card shows that improvement in the nation’s air quality was mixed. The best progress came in the continued reduction of year-round particle pollution in the eastern half of the nation, thanks to cleaner power plants and cleaner diesel fleets. In the western United States, the report explains, the impact of climate change is particularly apparent. We all know too well about the drought, but from a pollution standpoint, dry conditions create high particle pollution, a pollutant recently found to cause lung cancer.

In this year’s report, ozone indicators were mixed, with many cities – particularly in California – doing better than in the 2014 report, but many having more unhealthy ozone days. Los Angeles remains the metropolitan area with the worst ozone pollution, although the city reported its lowest average year-round particles and fewest high ozone days in the report’s history. The Fresno area remained at the top of both lists for most polluted area for particle pollution, as it was in the 2014 report.

 

 

 

 

 

To see how San Diego ranks in “State of the Air 2015,” or to learn how to protect yourself and your family from air pollution, and to join the fight for healthy air, visit: StateOfTheAir.org.

Nation’s Most Polluted Cities

Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution
Fresno-Madera, Calif.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, Calif.
Modesto-Merced, Calif.
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.
El Centro, Calif.
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, Penn.-Ohio-W.Va.
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH

Top 10 Most Ozone-Polluted Cities
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.
Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, Calif.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Fresno-Madera, Calif.
Sacramento-Roseville, Calif.
Houston-The Woodlands, Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas-Okla.
Modesto-Merced, Calif.
Las Vegas-Henderson, Nev.-Ariz.
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.

San Diego resident for over 10 years, I now call this beautiful city home. Originally from the Bay Area, I'm a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, fitness, food, and a good craft beer (from San Diego of course).

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