California Has 8 of the 10 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.

Despite ever-stricter air-quality regulations and dropping emissions, the American Lung Association once again finds the state to have some of the worst air in the nation.

1 minute read

April 24, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By Katharine Jose


Los Angeles Harbor Freeway

biofriendly / Flickr

As it has many times in its 19-year history, the “State of the Air” survey by the American Lung Association named Los Angeles-Long Beach as the most ozone-polluted city in the nation, reports USA Today.

The only two cities in the top 10 that are not in California are Phoenix (8th) and New York (10th).

The question the article asks, of course, is “Since California is known for its strict environmental regulations, why are so many cities from the state typically on this list?”

It’s similar to a question recently posed by Planetizen’s Irvin David about what he calls the “Southern California Air Quality Paradox:” since emissions are dropping, why is air quality getting worse?

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 in USA Today

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