King County, Washington, is in the top 5 percent of U.S. counties when it comes to airborne toxins, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. Traffic congestion, population growth and industrial emissions all contribute to the pollution, said federal regulators studying the problem. The figures are based on 1996 air samples provided by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The results do not take into account any subsequent population increases, traffic congestion or cleaner-burning cars. “It identifies our region, including the Eastside, as having some of the worst levels in the nation in respect to toxics,” said Dennis McLerran, executive director of the Puget Sound Agency. “It’s caused us to have some significant concern about that.”
From Daily Regulatory Reporter
Correction: An earlier version dated October 18 in FMLink News erroneously identified King County as being in Oregon. It is correctly in the State of Washington.
