SD County receives failing ozone pollution grade

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – According to a new report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association, San Diego County received a failing grade in ozone pollution.

For the first time since the inception of the State of the Air report in 2000, San Diego was not in the top 10 of any ‘worst-of’ category.

“There’s still more work to be done to make our air healthy for everyone to breathe,” said Dr. Atul Malhotra, volunteer physician for the American Lung Association in California, and president elect of the American Thoracic Society.

The report, however, did show a dramatic decrease in the number of unhealthy ozone days and unhealthy days for particulates since the year 2000. Unhealthy ozone days went from 80 down to 9 in the newest report, and the number of unhealthy days for particulates dropped from 24 to 2.

The worst area in the United States for ozone pollution was the Long Beach-Los Angeles-Riverside, while the best areas were Bellingham, Washington and Bend, Oregon.