Jefferson County receives failing grade for air quality in national report
American Lung Association’s annual report shows Birmingham area falling behind on clean air standards
JEFFERSON CO., Ala. (WBRC) - Jefferson County is breathing some of the dirtiest air in the country, according to a new national report that gave the area an F rating.
The American Lung Association released its 27th annual “State of the Air” report, which rates counties across the country on air quality. Jefferson County recorded six unhealthy air days per year.
“We’re not headed in the right direction. Birmingham is really falling behind,” said Ashley Lyerly, American Lung Association senior director of advocacy.
Long-standing pollution problem
Lyerly said air quality has been a persistent issue in the area.
“Back in the 1960s, you could see it. Right? If you went downtown, it was like black soot. In these days, especially as we go into summer, you can be coming up over the mountain in the Birmingham area and definitely see the haze,” Lyerly said.
According to the Lung Association, the air pollution is contributing to asthma attacks, illnesses and chronic health conditions.
What’s causing the pollution
The report uses the latest EPA data from 2022 to 2024 to grade counties on levels of ozone, or smog, and particle pollution, or soot. Lyerly said the culprits include car exhaust, coal-fired power plants and wildfires.
As she explains, there are ways to better protect your lungs.
“There are individual things that people can do, like filling up your gas tank at not peak temperature times, so doing it when the sun has set. Also, maybe if you can transition to a zero-emission vehicle,” Lyerly said.
State regulations under scrutiny
Lyerly said more needs to be done to ensure everyone has the cleanest air possible, and Alabama is going backwards.
“We as a state need to do more to regulate the pollutants in our environment. Unfortunately, this past legislative session we did see the passage of Senate Bill 71 and the enactment of that which really, unfortunately, will reduce what ADEM can do as it relates to state-level policies to protect us from unhealthy air quality,” Lyerly said.
Senate Bill 71, which the governor signed in February, prevents the Alabama Department of Environmental Management from adopting regulations more stringent than federal ones.
Despite Jefferson County’s failing grade, several other Alabama counties are passing with grades of A’s and B’s. The Tuscaloosa and Gadsden metro areas rank among the nation’s cleanest air.
Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.
Copyright 2026 WBRC. All rights reserved.
