The American Lung Association on Thursday released its annual State of the Air report, which grades counties and cities on unhealthy air, and the results were unkind to California.
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The study tracked, graded and ranked Americans cities based on residents' exposure to unhealthy ground ozone air pollution (smog), annual particle pollution (soot) and short term spikes in particle pollution over a three year period. This year's report covered data from 2018 to 2020.
California cities topped each of the three categories and the research found that 98% of residents in the Golden State live in a county impacted by air pollution.
Six of the top 10 cities with the most amounts of unhealthy days with high ozone were in California, topped by Los Angeles, which was ranked as the most polluted city in ozone pollution for the 22nd time in 23 years of the report. Mariela Ruacho, clean air manager with the American Lung Association, told KCBS Radio that the city's ozone pollution was measured at its highest level since the organization's 2010 report.
Richard Corey, an executive officer with the Clean Air Resources Board, told KCBS Radio most of the state's ozone pollution is due to transportation, which accounts for 50% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions.
"Fact is we can't get to clean healthy air for all California without transitioning away from burning petroleum," he said.
He explained that the goal needs to be full use of zero emission automobiles and an end to using diesel fuel.
"There is a path for all Californians to have healthy air to breathe and one that we need to continue to build on that partnership and deliver on that promise," he said.
There was some good news for the state in the report as Fresno, Bakersfield, Sacramento and San Diego all saw reduced ozone pollution compared to last year's study.
"The American Lung Association is calling for strong stage budget investments and equitable access to zero emission technologies and funding to support diesel truck retirement," Ruacho said. "We can't afford a transportation system that increases driving, inequitable health burden and climate risk."
In addition to the poor ozone statistics, four of the top five cities in short term particle pollution were in California, including San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, which were combined into one city. Furthermore, all of the top five cities in year-round particle pollution, which also includes San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, were in California.
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