America's Most Polluted Cities (Cali Gets 8 of Top 10)

Yahoo.com ^ | 05-07-2013 | Michael B. Sauter, Alexander E. M. Hess and Samuel Weigley

[OrangeHoof]

Despite the improvements, 4 in 10 Americans live where pollution levels are often dangerous to breathe. Since the ALA began studying particle pollution, almost all of the most polluted cities have consistently remained among the worst. Pittsburgh has been one of the 10 most polluted cities since 2004. The cities of Bakersfield and Merced, in California, are the most polluted cities in the U.S. this year and have been among the 25 most polluted since at least 2004. They are among many California cities, including Los Angeles, that have struggled with pollution for some time.

The ALA’s 2013 “State of the Air” report measures cities based on low-lying ozone pollution, as well as both short- and long-term particle pollution. These particles, just 1/30th the diameter of a human hair, are capable of getting past our bodily defenses and cause physical harm, particularly to those who already suffer from pulmonary diseases, the very young and the elderly. The report measures both the total accumulated particle pollution over the course of a year, as well as the number of days that the air pollution hit unhealthily high levels.

Several of the most polluted cities are in California's San Joaquin Valley. Extremely heavy traffic worsens the valley's air quality, accounting for as much as 89% of pollution there.

[OrangeHoof]

For those who don't want to click on the link, the Top 10 most polluted metropolitan areas ranked by the American Lung Association are:

10. Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.

9. El Centro, Calif.

8. Pittsburgh-New Castle, Penn.

7. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.

6. Modesto, Calif.

5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.

4. Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.

3. Fresno-Madera, Calif.

2. Merced, Calif.

1. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.

Gee, with all the screaching from the enviro-Left in Cali, you'd think they could do a better job of cleaning up what's in their own backyards.

Of course, if this study were simply about noxious gases, Washington DC would have to rank #1.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Incidentally, most of the central CA pollution nodes are due to the natural haze and dust of the area....not industrial production gone mad. If it matters.

[Mich Patriot]

But, but, but they’re so GREEEEEEEN out there!

[SeekAndFind]

Lookie here — I don’t see any Texas city on the list.

And I thought that Texas was polluting because of EVIL OIL !!

[matt04]

And yet they have managed to force those stupid CARB gas cans on us.

[American in Israel]

Los Angeles

China

Ain't Socialism Grand?!

[rktman]

And here I thought that CARB was infallible. Guess not. Time for more rules and regs. How anybody with a brain can stay in kali is beyond me. Family ties and jobs. I get that, but dang................

[ExTxMarine]

Incidentally, most of the central CA pollution nodes are due to the natural haze and dust of the area....not industrial production gone mad.

In addition, their rain fall/humidity is so limited/sporadic, that the dust and haze is never really curtailed!

Of course, all the greenie-weenies and enviro-Nazis know so much more than you, I or GOD, so they will continue to create solutions to problems which they don't understand and most of the rest of America's liberal loon states will follow such folly with great enthusiasm and disdain for states like Texas where common sense is more "common" than in their states!

[rockinqsranch]

Oh IT DOES MATTER, but telling the truth about the “Valley of Smoke” doesn’t provide the modern control seeking Leftist the advantage they require.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Incidentally, most of the central CA pollution nodes are due to the natural haze and dust of the area....not industrial production gone mad. If it matters.”

No, it doesn’t. Obviously, more taxes, regulations, and fines are needed.

Maybe it wasn’t a super-great idea to put massive amounts of urban infrastructure in A VALLEY.

[dragnet2]

Try having the biggest economy by far of ANY state and not have the most pollution...

When ya figure that out, report back.

[bray]

Not to worry, within 10 yrs they will have successfully chased all of the industries from their state.

Pray for America to Wake Up

[dragnet2]

Just wait another 10 years?

I thought CA imploded 10 years ago?

lol...

[sheana]

Our local news had a segment a couple of months ago about the ‘meters?’ that CARB is using to measure pollution and how inaccurate they are. They actually proved that the readings are bogus. None of it matters though.

[married21]

I don’t see how you can avoid putting infrastructure in a valley. A lot easier to build there than a mountain side, and a lot closer to the fields and oil that are the source of the wealth and the food. Besides, those who have built infrastructure on neither a valley, nor a mountain, have had their own environmental disasters (dust bowl, anyone?).

We are bodily creatures. Anywhere we live, we leave waste. The question is how best to make the trade-offs to live well.

(And the other thing is to know that we can never roll back the clock or completely unpollute. We look to God for our ultimate clean-up. Our efforts alone will always fall short.)

[rktman]

Roger that. Facts have NO place in any discussion with these clowns.

[Uncle Miltie]

Los Angeles:

Beijing:

Yeah, I cherry picked somewhat.

[pallis]

It must be all those grape vines growing around Modesto causing the air pollution.

[al_c]

And not a single Texas city on that list. So much for the lies about all that pollution in the air in unregulated Texas.

[kidd]

8. Pittsburgh-New Castle, Penn

I’ve been to Pittsburgh many times. It really isn’t bad at all; I’ve always been impressed at how clean it is. It isn’t even the worst part of Pennsylvania.