Report Ranks Atlanta Seventh Smoggiest in Nation

By Michelle Wirth

Atlanta, GA – According to a new report released by Environment Georgia, Atlanta was the seventh smoggiest large metropolitan area in the nation in 2010. With 23 unhealthy air days last year, Atlanta tied for the ranking with St. Louis and Sacramento. Jennette Gayer is a policy advocate for Environment Georgia.

"Atlantans deserve clean air, but on far too many days children and seniors in Georgia and the Atlanta area and across Georgia are exposed to dangerous smog pollution."

Gayer says things are even worse this year.

"This smog season still has a few days left, but so far we have been exposed to 39 days of unhealthy air, which is putting us on track to be in the top three."

To reduce pollution, Gayer and other environmental advocacy organizations like Mothers and Others for Clean Air say voters should approve the upcoming regional sales tax referendum. The referendum is scheduled for next summer and would fund $6 billion dollars in transit and transportation projects.