American Lung Association

Air pollutants of all kinds in North Carolina and the United States are at their lowest levels since measurements began back in the 1970s. The weight of the evidence suggests that these low levels of air pollution are at worst a minor health concern.

RALEIGH — The latest air quality rankings from the American Lung Association continue to exaggerate the harmful effects of air pollution. That’s the finding from an expert whose study…

Once again, the American Lung Association's annual “State of the Air” report misleads the public by exaggerating the data and issuing “grades” meant more to scare than to inform. The ALA claims up to 900 percent more high-ozone days than actually occurred and gives F grades to counties that are having no problem meeting EPA guidelines.

The American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" reports are treated as scientific and informative by the state news media. They are neither. They use outdated information that reflect changing weather patterns rather than real pollution and are biased against jurisdictions like North Carolina with high numbers of ozone monitors. As a result, the reports supply propaganda for lobbyists for heavier regulation but do a great disservice to science and the general public.