Study: Idaho Still Struggling With Air Polution

The Treasure Valley ranks pretty high in the U.S. for air pollution, but surprisingly, we're not the highest in Idaho, despite being the most populated metro area.

The Boise Metro Area (The Treasure Valley) has the 33rd worst air pollution in the country, specifically for short-term particle pollution, according to this new study by lung.org. More surprising than that, is that the study reports that "The Coeur d’Alene Valley area air quality ties for 11^th worst in the nation with the Spokane Valley’s air quality for short-term particle pollution". This is pretty wild considering the population of that area is about a fifth of what ours is here in the Treasure Valley.

Perhaps the most jarring section of the study, specifically in regards to Idaho, was this:

:The year’s report found that nationwide, more than 4 in 10 people (135 million) lived with polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk. In communities with high levels of air pollution in Idaho, pollution placed the health of over 810,000 residents at risk, including those who are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, such as older adults, children and people with a lung disease. The report also shows that people of color were 61% more likely to live in a county with unhealthy air than white people, and three times more likely to live in a county that failed all three air quality grades. The report also finds that climate change made air quality worse and harder to clean up."

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Obviously we want to see our awesome state with healthier air, and it's up to us as a people to do our best to make that happen.