New report shows California and the Bay Area struggling with air pollution - CBS News
New report shows California and the Bay Area struggling with air pollution - CBS San Francisco
New report shows California and the Bay Area struggling with air pollution
A newly released report by the American Lung Association reveals that the state of California -- and the Bay Area -- has some of the worst air quality in the entire country.
The organization's 25th annual "State of the Air" report issued Wednesday that more than 9 out of 10 Californians live in a community earning a failing grade for unhealthy ozone pollution days, unhealthy particle pollution days and/or unhealthy annual particle pollution levels, despite decades of strong progress in cleaning the air and reducing pollution.
More than 8 in 10 Californians live in an area with failing grades in each category.
"With a quarter-century of air pollution data behind it, 'State of the Air' 2024 clearly shows that progress is being made but that much more work lies ahead when it comes to healthy air in California as our climate crisis intensifies," Senior Manager for Clean Air Advocacy Mariela Ruacho was quoted as saying in the press release accompanying the report. "California must aggressively tackle air and climate pollution by maintaining strong policies and budget priorities. This is not the time to slow or cut state investments supporting those living in communities that bear the greatest burden of unhealthy air."
While the areas with the worst air quality measurements were Bakersfield -- which came in #3 for unhealthy ozone pollution days and topped the list for both unhealthy particle pollution days and unhealthy annual particle pollution levels -- and the area around Fresno, Madera and Hanford in the Central Valley -- #4 for unhealthy ozone pollution days, #3 for unhealthy particle pollution days and #2 for unhealthy annual particle pollution levels -- the Bay Area still ranked in or near the top ten in all three categories.
The combined readings for San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland ranked 12th worst for high ozone days, 7th worst for 24-hour particle pollution and fifth worst for annual particle pollution out of the over 200 metropolitan areas of the United State measured in the report.
A total of 12 California cities appear on at least one of the lists of the 25 most polluted cities in the nation. Los Angeles-Long Beach, Bakersfield, Fresno-Madera-Hanford, Sacramento-Roseville, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, and Visalia appear on the most polluted cities lists for all three categories.
The State of the Air report list of the most polluted cities in the U.S. can be found at the American Lung Association website.
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