Posted on 04/27/2006 7:37:26 PM PDT by Jeff F
April 27, 2006 -- People in the U.S. are breathing cleaner air than a year ago, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.
So says the American Lung Association's (ALA) "State of the Air 2006." The annual report focuses on particle pollution (soot) in the air, as well as ozone levels (smog).
Last year's winners and losers for year-round soot pollution didn't change. Cheyenne, Wyo. still has the least year-round soot pollution, while the Los Angeles area has the most year-round soot pollution, according to the ALA.
Sooty air showed a "general decline" since the ALA's 2005 report, largely due to pollution-cutting programs at coal-fired power plants.
But soot and smog remain "persistent threats against large parts of the United States," according to the ALA.
Filthy air isn't healthy for anyone, but it can be particularly hazardous for senior citizens, children, and people with asthmaasthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart diseaseheart disease, or diabetesdiabetes, notes the ALA.
More than half of the U.S. population lives in counties that have unhealthful levels of smog or soot, the report also states. However, some towns had cleaner air than others.
Who's Got the Cleanest Air Year-Round?
Cheyenne, Wyo., leads the ALA's latest list of the top 25 U.S. towns with the least long-term particle pollution (soot). Here is that list. Metropolitan areas that tied received the same number.
1. Cheyenne, Wyo. 2. Santa Fe-Espanola, N.M. 3. Honolulu 4. Great Falls, Mont. 5. Tucson, Ariz. 6. Anchorage, Alaska 7. Farmington, N.M. 7. Bismark, N.D. 9. Albuquerque, N.M. 10. Rapid City, S.D. 11. Pueblo, Colo. 12. Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo. 12. Fargo-Wahpeton, N.D.-Minn. 12. Duluth, Minn.-Wis. 15. Salinas, Calif. 15. Midland-Odessa, Texas 17. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla. 18. Colorado Springs, Colo. 18. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. 18. Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon, Ore. 21. Reno-Sparks, Nev. 22. Redding, Calif. 22. Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Fla. 24. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, Calif. 25. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.
Who's Got the Sootiest Air Year-Round?
The ALA lists the 25 U.S. metropolitan areas most polluted by year-round particle pollution (soot). Again, ties are listed with the same number:
1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif. 2. Bakersfield, Calif. 3. Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pa. 4. Visalia-Porterville, Calif. 5. Fresno-Madera, Calif. 6. Detroit-Warren-Flint, Mich. 7. Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. 8. Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, Ohio 9. Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, Ala. 9. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Ga.-Ala. 11. Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. 12. Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio 13. York-Hanover-Gettysburg, Pa. 13. St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, Mo.-Ill. 13. Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. 16. New York-Newark-Bridgeport, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. 16. Lancaster, Pa. 18. Merced, Calif. 18. Canton-Massillon, Ohio 20. Charleston, W.Va. 21. Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. 22. Reading, Pa. 22. Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Md.-W.Va. 24. Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, Ind. 25. Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, Ky.-Ind.
A separate list shows that the top five towns for ozone were all in California (Bakersfield, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Visalia-Porterville, Fresno-Madera, and Merced).
Oh so environmentally correct California picks up the slots 1-3 on the particulates list and 1-5 on the ozone list. Could the reporting back in 2000 possibly have been politicized?
Makes sense to me. Best air is west, worst is east
umm...the worst air is in LA
...never going to happen.
That's the mountains. Look at the bigger picture
It is actually pretty simple.
California has 10% of the nations population.
With that comes all their cars.
I live in #25 for clean air, also in California.
Lol. What I see is Calif. holding 5 of the top 7 places.
I would, but all that smog is limiting my view.
22. Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Fla.
This is total B.S....2 of the hugest garbage dumps are located off I-95 in these cities and it smells to high hell for miles...the haze off the dumps is unreal. Plus there are truck stops all over the place. Ft.Pierce is a toilet.
I remember a really smelly industrial plant on I-5 in Albany. Yuck.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1510878/posts
What's That Smell?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1588517/posts
NYC: Manhattan Gas Odor Came from NJ
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1601549/posts
New Jersey in Top 5 States When it Comes to Bad Air
Its those damn cows.
Al is busy warning us of the threat from the ManBearPig now to worry about air.
And many of the places in CA cited are small farm towns with no polluting industry. Porterville? Corcoran? Madera? Merced?
me too.
I've been motorcycling around this town for 6 years now and never smelled the dump on I-95, seen 1 full service truck stop in ft. Pierce, the Flying j. It's just north of the dump, also on I-95. And ft. Pierce may be severly depressed but far from a toilet once you leave I-95.
Seems the best thing for you to do is continue your drive-by journalism on I-95. Or better yet, take Rt 27. You won't be so distracted.
Oh and BTW, the dump funnels it's methane to the power plant for extra fuel, imagine that.
Sorry Joe...I have lived in Florida since I was born with the exception of 4-5 yrs up north. I am a native...those cities do not belong on the list. You can totally smell the dumps in the area...you literally gag as you drive for a good 10 mins past them.
That's exactly where we want them. On I-95 to irritate guys like you passing by. :-)
I've been in Florida for 33 years. Lived at various tuimes in Homestead, Miami, Hollywood, Liquirdale, Kissimmee, Narcoosee, Daytona and now PSL.
I couldn't give a crap for this town, and have my current houme for sale, but your description is an I-95 drive-by.
You didn't mention the deadfish smell at low tide on Indian River Drive that makes the dump smell like a rose garden, but that's far from I-95.
"Alaska vs California" ping
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