San Diego Ranks 6th Among Most Polluted Cities in U.S.

Excerpts from San Diego Union-Tribune article written by Lauryn Schroeder

Greater San Diego has the sixth worst ozone pollution in the country for the fifth year in a row, a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association says.

San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and officials from the American Lung Association and local environmental groups held a press conference at Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan to discuss the annual air quality report, which estimates more than 40 percent of Americans live with unhealthy air quality.

“More people die from air-related issues than they do from breast cancer,” Fletcher said. “I think this should serve as a sobering reminder but also a wake-up call for our policy makers that we have to do more.”

“We have to stop the damage and stop the bleeding,” Fletcher said,"and then we have to take decisive action to make it better. And that includes commitment to getting cars off the road. We need to invest in transit. We need to invest in livable, walk-able, bike-able communities.”

Read the article in its entirety here