Minnesota's Grades Improve in Latest American Lung Association 'State of the Air Report'

SAINT PAUL, Minn., April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Minnesota's grades improved in the latest American Lung Association State of the Air Report, earning passing "A," "B," and "C" grades for air quality in the 18 counties with enough data to be scored. The report is based on data collected and confirmed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the years 2006-2008. It does not include the most recent winter months, when southern Minnesota experienced a record number (23) of air quality alerts for particulate pollution. The unusually high number of alerts this winter was due to weather conditions.

Anoka, Mille Lacs and Wright counties, which each earned "D" grades for ozone pollution last year, saw improvements this year. Mille Lacs and Wright moved up to "C" grades this year, while Anoka County earned a "B" grade for ozone. Three other Minnesota counties saw their ozone scores improve this year. Olmsted, Scott and St. Louis Counties all moved from a "B" grade to an "A" grade in this year's report. St. Louis is the state's largest county, and includes the city of Duluth. Olmsted County includes the City of Rochester and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.

In particulate pollution, two metro area counties slipped a grade, while Stearns County improved. Hennepin County received a "C" score, down from last year's "B," as did Ramsey County. Stearns County was given a "B" grade for particulate pollution, up from a "C" last year.

"It's important to think of these annual grades as a snapshot in time, and not necessarily as a measure of where we are right now," said Bob Moffitt, communications director for the American Lung Association in Minnesota. "As we learn more on the proven health risks of air pollution, the federal standards rightly become tougher. This means Minnesota needs to continue its progress toward more mass transit, using cleaner fuels like E85 ethanol and biodiesel, and adopting cleaner new technologies in transportation, generating electricity, and heating and cooling our homes, workplaces and schools."

The American Lung Association in Minnesota has tips on reducing air pollution on its CleanAirChoice.org website. To see a copy of the full State of the Air Report, go to stateoftheair.org.

SOURCE American Lung Association in Minnesota