California again No. 1 in unbreathable air
It holds six spots on the USA’s top 10 list of problem cities
California’s smoggy reputation appears to be deserved: Six of the USA’s 10 cities with the worst air pollution are in the Golden State, a new report shows.
Bakersfield, Calif., again holds the dubious distinction of having the USA’s most days of highly polluted air, based on data from 2013-2015, according to the American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report released Wednesday.
In addition to the worst spikes of short-term pollution — led by Bakersfield — the report also lists the cities with the worst overall year-round pollution — led by Visala/Hanford, Calif.— and the worst ozone pollution — led by the Los Angeles/Long Beach area.
California’s soaring population and topography allow air pollution to overcome the state’s strict environmental laws, said Paul Billings of the American Lung Association. The boom in people brings with it an increase in cars and trucks on the roads, and many of those people live in valley and basins where pollution tends to settle.
Nearly year-round sunny skies don’t help: Those picture-perfect days are a major factor in high levels of ozone pollution, he said.
The state would be worse off without its laws on tailpipe pollution and elimination of coal-fired power plants. “They’ve done more than any other state to counteract air pollution,” he said.
Overall, the report is a mixture of good and bad news: While year-round pollution has improved, short-term spikes of intensely polluted air have increased.
About 125 million Americans nationwide live with unhealthful levels of air pollution, the report said, which places them at risk for premature death and other serious health problems such as lung cancer, asthma and cardiovascular damage.
“Even with continued improvement, too many people in the United States live where the air is unhealthy for them to breathe,” the report said.
Only six metro areas recorded no days when pollution reached unhealthy levels, the report showed: Burlington, Vt.; Honolulu; Wilmington, N.C.; Fort Myers/ Naples, Fla.; Melbourne, Fla.; and Elmira, N.Y.
Billings said he’s concerned about President Trump’s plans to slash the Environmental Protec- tion Agency’s budget. “We have to keep the environmental cop on the beat,” he said.
Trump’s budget proposal contains a 31% cut to the agency, including weakening or eliminating the Clean Air Act, which the report says has been the most important tool in the fight for healthy air by driving emission reductions for more than 47 years.
“Everyone has a fundamental right to breathe healthy air,” said Harold P. Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.