LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For the second year in a row, Lake County's has earned the distinction of having the cleanest air in the United States.
The news comes in the American Lung Association's latest State of the Air 2014 Report, released annually.
The report grades state and local area air quality on an A through F scale by comparing local ozone and small-particulate concentrations with the federal air quality standards.
Although many areas, especially within California, were given failing grades, Lake County passed with flying colors.
Lake County received an “B” grade for ozone, an “A” grade for short term particulate pollution, and is ranked the Cleanest County in the Nation for annual particulate average concentrations for the second consecutive year.
Out of California’s 58 counties, Lake County is one of only 12 counties in California that did not have any days of particulate matter exceeds from 2010 through 2012, according to the report.
This impressive record has been documented by continuous air quality monitoring, which showed that fine particulate in the air never exceeded allowable levels during that time, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Douglas Gearhart of the Lake County Air Quality Management District.
The report presents data showing what the residents of Lake County actually are breathing on a daily basis.
It does not exclude wildfire impacts or other natural events that may be excluded when determining Lake County's attainment status. This shows that despite the Wye, Walker, and Scotts fires, the residents of Lake County overall still enjoy the cleanest air in the nation.
The American Lung Association grades are the latest recognition of a long history of air quality accomplishments in Lake County, Gearhart said.
Strong local support for clean air measures has enabled the county to comply in full with not only the federal clean air standards, but also with the more rigorous California standards for ozone and other air pollutants for the past 24 consecutive years, Gearhart said.
No other air district in California can match that record, Gearhart added.
Gearhart attributes the success of the program to strong community support, cooperation of local agencies, fire protection districts, Cal Fire, the agricultural community, industry, the district board of directors and to the Lake County Air Quality Management District staff.
“It is great to have our local community efforts nationally recognized,” he said. “To be ranked number one for two consecutive years is a testament the the community in which we live. ”