SACRAMENTO, Calif — The City of Sacramento was named the fifth most ozone-polluted city in the country.
The city was also ranked No. 15 on the list of most polluted cities by short-term pollution, according to the State of the Air 2019 that comes from the American Lung Association.
Ozone pollution is known as the gas pollution people don't see. Short-term pollution is typically when the air is smoky, like after a wildfire.
Will Barrett, Clean Air Advocacy Director for the American Lung Association, said that, although Sacramento has remained around the same rank for the last few years. it has improved by 40 percent and 70 percent in the last 20 years in ozone pollution and short-term pollution respectively.
Although the city has seen improvement with more green initiatives on the state and local level, Barrett said that with increasing heat waves and the number of wildfires pollution could get worse in California. Barrett explained that the ALA saw this to be the case with the bay-area fires of 2017 and that the 2019 report doesn't include the pollution numbers of 2018.
"Unfortunately, extreme heat and extreme wildfires are only making the job of cleaning the air in California that much more difficult," Barrett said.
Barrett said that with the wildfires of 2018, the State of the Air report could be worse for California in 2020.
Although the air quality may seem like something regular people can't change, Barrett said that there are ways people who live in California can help do their part.
How anyone can help California in improving air quality:
- Call legislators - Barrett said that calling legislators to express support for bills that will help air quality can go along way in helping California's air quality.
- Drive less - Barrett said that people can help air quality by driving less and opting to walk, bike or carpool when choosing a method of transportation.
- Opt for zero-emission cars - If you do drive, Barrett said people should try to opt for a zero-emission car.
Currently, the American Lung Association is in support of two bills. Barrett said that Senate Bills 210 and 526 can help further the mission of bettering air quality in California.
SB 210 would create an inspection program for heavy-duty vehicles like big rigs, called a Truck Emission Check. This check would be similar to how other cars need a SMOG test.
SB 526 would create an interagency group that would help regional transportation systems work towards the State's goals of air quality in relation to public transportation.
The full State of the Air report can be read here.
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