California EPA Study Reveals Most Polluted Cities
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Parts of California are well known for their pollution, and a recent study is helping to pinpoint the most severe contributors.
The California Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring the state's most polluted cities through the study. They have been doing so with more efficiency, using a new program called CalEnviroScreen that allows scientists to factor environmental, population, and socioeconomic characteristics.
Out of the top 10 most polluted cities, three are reportedly located within the Los Angeles area.
The industrial city of Vernon is ranked at No. 4 on the list, while Baldwin Park is ranked No. 7, and East Los Angeles is ranked No. 8.
East Los Angeles is known for its heavy freeways, industrial sites, and shipping corridors.
"Sometimes [my roommates and I will] wake up in the morning, and it'll be nothing but smog," resident Alex Ferrar said.
The new monitoring tool, which is the first of it's kind, allows the California EPA to prioritize which areas are in the highest need of grants and cleanup efforts.
The American Lung Association is also expected to release it's annual State of the Air report. The report suggests that, while the state has made strides in its fight on pollution, efforts to make California cleaner are far from over.
"Air pollution is a big thing for me being a mother of a five year old boy," resident Sara Smith said. "I'm worried about what he's breathing, what his lungs are filling up with."
Number two on the list was Bakersfield, and coming in at number one was Fresno.
