Metro Charlotte’s improving smog problem placed it 18th-worst among U.S. cities, the American Lung Association says in annual rankings, down from 10th-worst the past two years. The ranking is for ozone, or smog, an invisible gas that in the Charlotte area comes mostly from vehicle tailpipes, power plants and industrial emissions. Mecklenburg County has been unable to meet federal ozone standards for years. Most U.S. cities have the cleanest air since the ratings began 13 years ago, the Lung Association said. Eighteen of the 25 cities most polluted by ozone, for example, showed major improvements. The association credits federal emission standards for coal-fired power plants, diesel engines and SUVs. North Carolina’s legislation to reduce power-plant emissions over the past decade have played a large role in this state.
Still, 40 percent of Americans live in areas such as Charlotte, where bad air may hurt their health, the association says. Children, older people and those with respiratory ailments are most at risk. Los Angeles led the smoggiest-city rankings, followed by other cities in California and Texas. The Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury metro area ranked fourth-worst in the East, behind Washington, New York and Philadelphia. The report is based on air readings taken from 2008 through 2010.
by
Bruce Henderson
(THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER)
(4/25/12)
