And yes, the list is bullshit. They expect us to believe that California's cities can have some of the dirtiest air in the country, but the state can be one of the least polluted. The list probably just ranks the states with the tightest regulations the highest.
Interesting: Even though California ranks sixth among the least polluted states, many of its cities rank among America’s most polluted. Research from the American Lung Association ranked cities by ozone pollution, year-round particle pollution, and short-term particle pollution. California areas that ranked in the ALA’s top 10 most polluted cities in all three pollution categories include Los Angeles-Long Beach, Bakersfield, Fresno-Madera-Hanford, and Sacramento-Roseville.
“but apparently Nevada exempts classic cars from emissions regulation”
That is true. I have a 1966 toyota landcruiser which is what I use on these cross state misadventures. I do not have to smog it, as you don’t have to smog anything earlier than 1968. I do not know if it is still true, but 30 years ago, you did not need to smog cars at all if you lived in rural counties. I would hate more than anything being forced to modify the landcruiser to accommodate emmision controls. That being said, I do have an early version of a fuel injection type system with sensors so the engine does run clean and efficient.