Los Angeles has some of the worst air quality in the country. It is not uncommon for Los Angeles to fall short of federal air quality standards, and we are routinely plagued by high ozone pollution and smog levels. 

While air pollution has no borders,  the burdens often fall hardest on low-income communities of color. There is a higher rate of health disparities for vulnerable communities living near large localized pollution sources such as ports and major highways or clusters of industrial facilities and operating oil and gas extraction sites scattered throughout residential areas. Routine exposure to toxins in the air can increase risks of premature birth, causing or worsening lung and heart diseases, and even death.

Smog and fine particulate matter doesn’t have to be a fact of life. While California - and Los Angeles - have a long way to go to ensure everyone breathes clean air, progress is being made. Thanks to the hard work of the PSR-LA led South Central LA Project to Understand the Sources and Health Impacts of Local Air Pollution (SCLA-PUSH), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a South LA Community Emissions Reduction Plan, the only such plan to include a chapter on Just Transition to address air pollution burden and create needed health protections for South LA communities.