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Regional Analyses: Region 5 & 6
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Region 5
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin |
Region 5. This is another region with serious air pollution problems, especially with high levels of particle pollution. Portions or all of 10 cities in the Midwest rank in the list of the 25 worst cities for year-round particle pollution, while 6 also rank in the 25 worst for short-term particle levels. Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI, ranks 6th worst on the year-round list and 12th on the short-term list. Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH, ranks 8th on the year-round list and 10th on the short-term list. Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN, ranks 11th on the year-round and 17th on the short-term list. Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, ranks 13th on the year-round and 21st on the short-term. Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI, ranks 14th on the list of worst cities for year-round particle pollution, while tied at 12th for short-term particle levels. The final Region 5 city on both lists is Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN, ranked 22nd for year-round levels and 20th for short-term. In addition, these four other cities ranked among the worst for year-round levels: Canton-Massillon, OH, at 15th, St.Louis-St.Charles-Farmington, MO-IL, at 20th, Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, tied at 22nd, and Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe, OH, tied for 24th.
Two Midwest cities show up on the list of worst ozone cities. Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH, placed 15th on that list, while Sheboygan, WI, ranked 25. This marks the first time midwestern cities have made this list.
Illinois monitored 20 counties for ozone and seven scored Fs. One of them, unfortunately, was Cook County, home to Chicago. Because of Cook County's large size, it meant that 70 percent of the Illinois population (in those monitored areas) was living with unhealthful ozone conditions. Two Illinois counties show up on the list of those most polluted by year-round particle pollution: Cook County at number 17, and Madison County tied for the 24th spot. Cook County also ranks 19th among the worst for short-term particle pollution.
All but one of the counties reporting ozone records in Indiana received Fs, but that one exception was Greene County, with an A. The most drastic change to Indiana's report was that Elkhart County, which brought up its ozone score from an F to an A over the last few years, had dropped back to an F, slipping four grades. Only three of the counties monitoring particle pollution showed unhealthful short-term levels, but 10 of the 14 counties with complete monitoring failed the year-round test. Lake County tied at 16th among the worst for short-term particle pollution, and at 20th among the worst for long-term particle pollution.
Michigan had only two counties to have year-round levels of particle pollution that were unhealthful, while three counties received Fs for short-term levels. Wayne County, MI tied at 16th among the worst for short-term particle pollution, and ranked 9th among the worst for long-term particle pollution.
Ohio and Michigan scored very poor marks for ozone. Ohio did not report a single county being above the grade of F. Nevertheless, no Region 5 county ranked among the 25 worst ozone-polluted. Within Region 5, Ohio had the worst particle pollution with 12 out of 19 counties scoring an F for the shortterm levels. Only two counties, Lake and Lucas, passed the year-round-level rating. Among the 25 counties with the worst long-term exposure to particle pollution were four from Ohio: Cuyahoga at 11th, Hamilton at 14th, Jefferson at 16th, and Scioto at 24th. Cuyahoga County was 13th worst and Hamilton County tied at 21st worst among those with the worst short-term particle pollution.
Wisconsin showed very promising scores for particle pollution with Milwaukee as the only F for the short-term rating. Wisconsin showed a mixed set of changes for ozone, with the most significant being more unhealthful days in Sheboygan, giving it the ranking among most ozone-polluted cities.
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Region 6
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas |
Region 6. Ozone remains a serious problem for select areas in Region 6, while particle pollution presents a relatively rare problem. Region 6 had two cities on the list of the most ozone-polluted: Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX, ranked at 5th worst; and Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, ranked as 10th worst.
In Arkansas, 95 percent of the population in monitored counties is living in areas that scored F for ozone levels. Particle pollution is minimal.
Louisiana parishes generally improved in ozone, with four improving one letter grade and three moving up two grades. Five parishes that had failed the ozone grading in the 2003 report now received passing grades. However, ten parishes still received an F for ozone. All Louisiana parishes received passing grades for short-term and year-round particle pollution.
New Mexico did not have any counties graded F for ozone or particle pollution. However, Doņa Ana County reported more days with unhealthful ozone levels than in the 2003 report, so its grade dropped from a C to a D. One county, Sandoval, improved from a B to an A. New Mexico also reported no problems with particle pollution.
Unhealthful levels of ozone showed up in only two Oklahoma counties, with three counties moving to a passing grade compared to the 2003 report. Oklahoma has no areas with unhealthful particle pollution.
Harris County, TX, home of Houston, at 7th worst, holds the distinction of being the only county included in the top-ten most ozone-polluted counties that is not in California. In fact, unhealthful ozone levels in Texas place at risk almost 90 percent of the population in the monitored counties. Tarrant County ranked 14th worst. Texas is also the only state in the region with unhealthful levels of particle pollution, but it is only in one county (El Paso) and only for short-term levels.
Regional Analyses continued... |
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