How polluted is YOUR community?

[Mississippienne]

Scorecard.org (http://www.scorecard.org) provides information about toxic substances, houses with dangerous levels of lead, air and water pollution, and amount of animal waste for the zip code of your choice. I checked zip 39153, my home Smith County in Mississippi, and the results were disturbing.

1. Smith Co. ranked among the dirtier 40% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of carbon monoxide emissions. Besides that, air quality is NOT monitered.
2. 98% of our surface water is threatened or damaged by pollution, and 1 of our 2 watertables has serious water quality problems.
3. Smith Co. ranks 2nd out of all the counties in Mississippi in tons of animal waste in data collected from 1997.

This... disturbs me. How does YOUR community measure up?

[Hyperelastic]

Los Angeles County, baby. We're number one!!

[fishbicycle]

Leon County, Florida checking in. Here's what it said on the website:

In 2001, this county ranked among the cleanest/best 20% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of total environmental releases.


No waste sites in LEON County are on EPA's National Priority List of Superfund sites.

Hazardous Air Pollutants Based on EPA's most current data, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the US in terms of noncancer hazards from hazardous air pollutants.
* 239,452 people in LEON County face a cancer risk more than 100 times the goal set by the Clean Air Act.
* 85% of the air cancer risk is from mobile sources
* 15% of the air cancer risk is from area sources
* 0.0076% of the air cancer risk is from point sources

And just the other day, I was telling my brother that this is the cleanest place I've ever lived. They don't even have a pollution count on the weather. Of course, the difference I can discern may come from having lived in a place where you could see, smell and taste the pollution. It was worse than Los Angeles. When I went to LA, I wondered what all the fuss was about, concerning smog. I lived with much worse, daily for years and years.

[Lissa]

Jesus!

In 2001, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 20% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of air releases.

And this is a tiny, piss-ant community in the Midwest!

68,422 people in [this] County face a cancer risk more than 100 times the goal set by the Clean Air Act.

But the good news is that the impacts on economic and racial groups is about the same. We're all gonna die.

[Lsura]

Where I live now:

In 2002, this county ranked among the cleaner 40% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of carbon monoxide 1-hour average concentration

...This county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the US in terms of an average individual's added cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants.

30 % of surface waters in KNOX County have beneficial uses which are impaired or threatened.


Where I'm moving to soon:


In 2001, this county ranked among the cleanest/best 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of land releases

In 1999, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of carbon monoxide emissions

...this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 20% of all counties in the US in terms of noncancer hazards from hazardous air pollutants.

23 % of surface waters in MAHONING County have beneficial uses which are impaired or threatened.

[Duke]

Niagara County, NY. Home of Love Canal. I think that should say it all.

But, just in case you've forgotten: This county is one of 12 counties in the US with 6 Superfund sites. In 2001, this county ranked among the dirtier 30% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of air releases. 215,278 people in NIAGARA County face a cancer risk more than 100 times the goal set by the Clean Air Act. (note: Niagara county has a population of 215,278.) Based on EPA's most current data, this county ranked among the dirtier 30% of all counties in the US in terms of noncancer hazards from hazardous air pollutants. Think I should move?

[malden]

Kauai County, Hawaii:

Percentage of days with good air quality: 12



borough of Bethel, Alaska (mostly roadless area near Bering Sea)

In 1999, this county ranked about the average of all counties in the U.S. in terms of sulfur dioxide emissions


:dubious:

Still, a useful resource for most communities. It's good to provide to the public a list of major polluters for any given geographic area.