A single, devastating California fire season wiped out years of efforts to cut emissions at coal and oil facilities in the state’s biggest city, leading to a surge in emissions.
The city of Orange County experienced the worst of emissions in the United States in May, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The city has two coal plants.
The EIA and the US Environmental Protection Agency classify orange and lemon areas as an emissions hot spot within the state, where burning oil from coal plants and oil refineries produces higher emissions than the average from all US sources combined. The hot spot had some of the highest levels of nitrogen oxide emissions in the state.
The EIA’s list of hot spots lists seven of the top 10 states for emissions including California. The California Index, which ranks states in terms of how far they deviate from the average, ranks California 17th in the nation for the most emissions from US sources, with a score of 8.3.
The hot spot was not the only source of pollution in Orange County, according to the EIA. The largest source of pollution, the Los Angeles Unified School District, also has the most emissions of any single entity in the US.
The hot spot was not the only source of pollution in Orange County, according to the EIA. The largest source of pollution, the Los Angeles Unified School District, also has the most emissions of any single entity in the US.
The hot spot could not have come at a worse time for the city. As oil reserves were found under the surface of the ocean off the coast of California earlier this year, the city’s oil refineries that are located near major coastal and mountain passes became exposed to potential fires.
The state’s top health official, Dr. Barbara Garcia, said the hot spot was part of a larger problem: “There is a larger problem at play. We have a state problem and we have a regional problem.”
The hot spot was not the only source of pollution in Orange County, according to the EIA. The largest source of pollution, the