Pollution in Southern Cal

Time just published the top 10 most polluted citied in the US. Look how many Southern Cal communities are on the list...

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2095471_2095472_2095478,00.html



Had no idea the problem was so wide-spread.

TC

No surprise to me. That is one of the reasons, I do not go south of Red Bluff in California.
In 1973 I was a pilot for a company in Riverside Ca. and I would wipe the smog off the leading edges of the wings on our Cessna 310. Slant visibility on a normal day was less than 3 miles, so I was IFR most of the time climbing through 5,500 ft. until VFR on top of the smog. We later moved out of the smog to Redding Ca. Next move will be farther north, but for a different reason.

Well, if you noticed, the majority of the cities listed are here in the central/southern San Joaquin Valley. I can tell you the visible smog levels are way down from what they use to be 15-20 years ago, so significant improvements have been met.........but still we get our days, but nowhere near like before. Reading the article, they blame everything thing except what is really causing it............namely polution coming south from the Bay Area, following the natural wind currents and the high vehicle traffic on both I-5 and Hwy 99, where the big 18 wheelers blow their smoke up and down the valley. Because of us not meeting the EPA standards, which are so high, they will never be met, vehicle owners within Fresno, Kings, Madera, Tulare and Kern counties are assesed an additional $12 per year on their vehicle license. Personally I think they should put up a Toll Booth ontop the Grapevine (I-5) in the south and the same around Stockton (I-5 and Hwy99) and start making it a toll road.... let everyone pay, not just the folks who live in this predominante rural area...

I'm tied for number 10. I'd like to know what data they are using to base their assessment (surface ozone, particulate matter, etc.). As John says above, it's way better than it was in the early 80's. I was at USC and could not see downtown LA four miles away on most days.

It was a lot better in the 40's. You could see stars at night. Being a pilot I could see the smog coming in from Orange county from the industrial area. Also from Kaiser steel plant in Fontana. In those days, 90% was from industrial pollution, and 10% autos.

, vehicle owners within Fresno, Kings, Madera, Tulare and Kern counties are assesed an additional $12 per year on their vehicle license. Not just those counties San joaquin county and Stainslaus County are also in that group.
What I cannot understand is a coworker Who drives around 160 miles one way to work does not have to Smog any of his vehicles because of the county he lives in. Yet I have three vehicles which I have to smog annually every other year and of those I only have one with over 100000 miles my wifes car only has 65000 miles and my dually which only has 75000 miles on it is only used about three to four times a year and is the most expensive vehicle license fee. I just don't get this ?????????