The vast majority of

counties in Wyoming received passing marks

in a study of air quality across the country.

Both Laramie County and Natrona County

rank among the cleanest in the nation in certain

categories. The exception was Sublette

County.

For the most part, those grades are lower

than the grades the state received in last year’s

report.

The American Lung Association’s State of

the Air 2019 study found that between 2015-

2017, there was an increase across the country

in the number of cities with high levels of

ozone pollution and short-term particle pollution

when compared to 2014-2016. And in

many of those cases, there was an increase in

the number of cities with elevated year-round

particle pollution, often referred to as soot.

That national downturn in air quality was

mirrored in Wyoming, with several counties

– including Laramie County – coming in with

a lower grade than in last year’s report. In this

year’s report, which covers 2015-2017, Laramie

County was given a B grade for ozone

pollution and a C grade for the short-term

presence of soot in the air.

That is a drop from 2018’s report, which

covered 2014-2016. Laramie County had received

an A for ozone pollution and a B for

short-term presence of soot.

Not every county’s air quality was measured

in the report due to insufficient data

in most cases. But the worst area for ozone

pollution of those graded in Wyoming was

Sublette County, which went from a B grade

in last year’s report to a D this year. Sheridan

County was one of the worst counties for

short-term soot in the air, dropping from a C

last year to a D this year.

Campbell County also had a drastic downturn

in its short-term soot levels, dropping

from a B grade in 2018’s report down to a

D this year. It also saw its ozone grade drop

from an A to a B.

Natrona County continued to rank as one

of the cleanest metropolitan areas in the country.

But it did see its rating take a hit compared

to last year’s report.

While Laramie County has seen its issues

with day-to-day levels of particle pollution

increase, it still is the best metropolitan area

for the levels of soot on an annual basis. Once

again, the American Lung Association gave it

the highest ranking for annual soot levels out

of 201 metropolitan areas.

“In many areas of the United States, the air

quality is worsening, at least in part because

of wildfires and weather patterns fueled by

climate change,” American Lung Association

President Harold Wimmer said in a statement.

“This increase in unhealthy air is eye-opening,

and points to the reality that the nation

must do more to protect the public from serious,

even life-threatening, harm.”

This year, Natrona County received an A

grade for ozone quality but a B for short-term

soot presence, a drop from its previous A rating.

But even with that change, Casper was

named one of four best cities when it comes

to having no days in the unhealthy level for

ozone pollution, and was on the list of the

cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution.