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ALEX BURKE, HOST: The American Lung Association released its annual air quality report this week. KVPR’s Esther Quintanilla explains what the results mean for the Central Valley.
ESTHER QUINTANILLA: The report shows that while some progress has been made in the state, there’s still a long way to go to improve the air quality. Mariela Ruacho is the Clean Air Advocacy Manager in California for the Lung Association.
MARIELA RUACHO: Too many Californians on too many days of the year breathe unhealthy air. Over nine out of ten Californians live in a community impacted by air pollution.
QUINTANILLA: The study found that Bakersfield and Visalia are tied for the most polluted cities in the country for year-round pollution. It also found the Fresno-Madera-Hanford metro area ranks as one of the worst ozone-polluted regions, but saw fewer days of heavy pollution compared to last year. The Lung Association is calling on President Biden to move forward on several measures to clean up air pollution nationwide, and establish new measures to clean up power plants and vehicles. For KVPR News, I’m Esther Quintanilla
