With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This report ranks the most polluted cities in America. Guess where LA landed
Los Angeles successfully defended its title as the city with the worst air pollution in America, according to the American Lung Association's 2018 "State of the Air" report. It's a distinction the city has held for nearly all of the report's 19-year history.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
)
(
American Lung Association
)
This is one ranking where Angelenos wish we didn't come out on top. The American Lung Association released its annual "State of the Air" report Wednesday, and the Golden State gets plenty of mentions — but not in a good way.
Los Angeles successfully defended its title as the city with the worst air pollution in America, a distinction it's held for nearly all of the report's 19-year history.
Long Beach joins L.A. as the most air-polluted metro region in America in terms of ozone pollution. Seven other California cities also made that list, including Bakersfield and San Diego.
Here's the full top ten list of the most polluted U.S. cities by ozone, according to the report:
Support for LAist comes from
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, CA
- Fresno-Madera, CA
- Sacramento-Roseville, CA
- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
- Modesto-Merced, CA
- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
- Redding-Red Bluff, CA
- New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA
You can view the full city rankings here.
Bakersfield ranked worst for short-term particle pollution in a list that featured several other California cities, including San Francisco, Fresno, Long Beach and Los Angeles.
What about the cities with the cleanest air? There's a list for that, too. Not a single California city cracked the top 15 in any of the rankings.
Southern Californians wondering how their county ranked for air quality can look up the report card and compare their air to other counties.
(
American Lung Association
)
The report found that particle pollution, which includes hazards like wildfire smoke and diesel exhaust, was down across the country. But ozone pollution, which can be aggravated in warmer temperatures, "worsened significantly."
More than four in 10 Americans live in counties where the air is unhealthy, according to the report, which compiles air quality data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Support for LAist comes from
The report also singled out climate change as a factor in increased health risks.
"Near record-setting heat from our changing climate has resulted in dangerous levels of ozone in many cities across the country, making ozone an urgent health threat for millions of Americans," American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold P. Wimmer said in a press release. "Everyone deserves to breathe healthy air, and we must do more to protect the air we breathe by upholding and enforcing the Clean Air Act."
Those federal protections are at risk, according to the association. It mentions EPA director Scott Pruitt 13 times in its report, pointing to ways they say he is attempting to roll back or create loopholes in the law.
The report lists six "key threats" in the fight for cleaner, healthier air — including the current battle over vehicle emissions standards.
You can read the full report below:
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist