The Phoenix metro area ranked in the top 10 most polluted cities for both ozone and year-round fine particulate matter. But it seems to be improving in the area of short-term particulate matter.
To learn more about this year’s findings, The Show spoke with JoAnna Strother, the American Lung Association’s senior director of advocacy in Arizona.
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State of the Air: Pima County gets a failing grade, but ozone pollutants are dropping
State of the Air: Pima County gets “F,” but ozone pollutants dropping By Megan McNeil | April 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM MST - Updated April 21 at 5:51 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - According to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report, Pima County does not pass with flying colors when it comes to ozone pollution levels in fact, it received an “F.”
However, data seems to be going in the right direction.
A dusty Wednesday marked the release of the report in Tucson. Some air monitors around Pima County dipped from “good” to “moderate” as winds picked up particulate matter on April 21, 2021. Red flag warnings went into effect in parts of southern Arizona and high winds in Pinal County lead the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office to warn drivers of blowing dust after a one-car collision.
Air Quality Report Shows Ozone Increases in New Mexico publicnewsservice.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publicnewsservice.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Metro areas in New Mexico also suffered from heightened pollution.
Group advocates for greater controls on emissions from fossil fuel development.
As oil and gas boomed in New Mexico in recent years, air pollution spiked in areas of heavy fossil fuel operations, per a new report from the American Lung Association.
The Association’s annual State of the Air Report, published Wednesday, showed increases in ground-level ozone in both Eddy and Lea counties in southeast New Mexico in the prolific Permian Basin shale play, and assigned both counties an “F” grade.
The 2021 report covered 2017, 2018 and 2019 – years that saw an historic increase in oil and gas production before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the industry’s decline.
Utah s air quality receives poor rating fox13now.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fox13now.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.