The American Lung Association recently released its 26th annual State of the Air Report, and it's a mixed bag for Chautauqua County. The report, which collected data on 23 of New York's 62 counties, grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution and year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution from 2021-2023. Chautauqua County received a grade of "D" for ozone pollution, but also got a grade of "B" for particle pollution. The report also found that the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean metro area was named the third most polluted area in the Northeast for year-round particle pollution, marking a decline from last year.
