ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) — St. Louis finds itself placed high on another list it would rather not be included on.
This time the Gateway City ranks number 7th on the list of smoggiest cities with a population of more than a million people, according to the group Environment Missouri.
Spokesman Ted Mathys says the 23 so-called smog days St. Louis experienced last year placed it higher than New York, Detroit, and Newark, New Jersey.
“What is even more alarming is that the problem is worst than the public thought,” Mathys said. “Our report shows that on 18 additional days last year residents in the St. Louis area were exposed to smog levels that scientists say are dangerous.”
But because of what he calls out-dated federal air quality rules, no alert was ever issued on those 18 additional days, meaning those most at risk were never alerted to the danger. Environment Missouri also says that would get even worse if Congress passes the TRAIN act, which they claim would roll back pollution standards for power plants.
Dr. Gary Albers with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital says all that pollution impacts everyone, especially children with asthma.
“Parents and children do all this work to take care of their disease,” explains Dr. Albers. “But all of those precautions go out the window on days where smog reaches dangerous levels.”
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