Dallas ranks #7 on the list of U.S. cities with the most ozone

by PegNews wire

In order to get higher on the list, we'll just need to keep buying more stupid Hummers and SUVs and driving them like maniacs.

The American Lung Association issued its annual air quality report for 2007, with Los Angeles at the top of the list of the most polluted cities.

Dallas came in at No. 7 on the list of cities with the worst ozone; Houston was No. 5. The only other Texas city to make the top 20 was Beaumont-Port Arthur, at No. 20; eight out of the top 20 cities were in Calif.

Overall, ozone - aka, smog -- has decreased nationwide.

The other component of pollution is "particle pollution," aka, soot. Particle pollution levels increased in the East but decreased in the West.

Higher soot levels in the East are being linked to heavy polluting power plants. Other cities with bad particle pollution include many in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, including Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, DC-Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.

The American Lung Association's Web site is currently bogged down but if you want to visit in a day or so, it has a place where you can send a message to the Environmental Protection Agency urging them to set more protective standards for ozone and other pollutants.

Posted by T.G.