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Air Quality In Ohio Cities Ranked Among Worst In Nation

Deborah C. Smith

A new study by the American Lung Association shows the air quality has improved slightly from last year in Ohio cities, but remains among the lowest in the union. The "State of the Air 2014" report is basked on U.S. EPA data. The report ranks the Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas in the top 25 of cities with the most-polluted air. But association spokesperson Janice Nolen says the picture is still better than it was ten years ago. Nolen says the Clean Air Act and other policy measures are helping.

Nolan says global climate change is complicating the matter. Smog is formed when hot weather combines with pollution generated by vehicles, factories and coal-fired power plants. Nolan says Ohio had an unusually hot summer last year.

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 The EPA expects smog to continue to decrease thanks to federal anti-pollution regulations.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.