The Augusta metro area ranked 41st worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution. It got a failing grade in the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. The report examined air quality data from 2022 through 2024, grading counties on unhealthy amounts of smog and particle pollution.
The area got an A grade for ozone. It ranked among the cleanest cities nationwide for ozone pollution. For short-term particle pollution, the metro area ranked 180th worst and got a B grade.
“This is our 27th annual ‘State of the Air’ report,” said Danna Thompson, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Georgia, per The Augusta Chronicle. “It grades county air quality over a three-year period.”…