by Jim Pfiffer, Friends of the Chemung River Volunteer.
Here’s good news to help celebrate Earth Day today, Elmira-Corning are ranked as cities among the top 5 cleanest for air in the nation, according to a recent American Lung Association report (https://www.lung.org/research/sota).
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which is responsible for dramatic improvements in air quality. Despite this, the report finds nearly half of the nation’s population – 150 million people – lived with and breathed polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk.
The report highlighted the cleanest air cities and said that among the nation’s 204 metropolitan areas, Elmira-Corning:
- Tied for first for the least amount of for Ozone.
- Tied for first for the least amount of particle pollution in a 24-hour period.
- Ranked 191 for annual particle pollution.
Five cities rank on all three cleanest cities lists for ozone, year-round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution. They had zero days high in ozone or particle pollution and are among the 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle levels. Cities are listed in alphabetical order.
- Burlington-South/Burlington-Barre, Vermont
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Elmira-Corning, New York
- Honolulu (Urban), Hawaii
- Wilmington, North Carolina
This good news is a good reason to go outside today on Earth Day, to enjoy the fresh clean air, take a hike, ride a bike, walk a pet, or visit a park.
And breath in all the good clean air.