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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Seattle in top two of cleanest American cities
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/19/2008 3:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Seattle in top two of cleanest American cities
Forbes ranks Seattle just below Miami in air quality and other measures
SEATTLE -Forbes list of America’s Cleanest Cities for 2008 includes Seattle as No. 2, just below Miami and ahead of Portland (No. 5) and San Francisco (No. 6).
These cities are blessed with sea-breezes that blow away pollution, noted Forbes. But they “are also reaping the rewards of investing in efforts to keep clean, even as their populations boom.”
“Getting recognized for our environmental work is always a pleasant surprise,” said Mayor Greg Nickels. “But it’s no accident. Our water, transportation and energy policies are geared toward leaving a better planet for our children and grandchildren.”
Forbes made air quality a big factor in its ranking. To determine the cleanest major cities in the United States, Forbes initially measured the rankings for air pollution and ozone levels among all 49 U.S. metro areas with populations exceeding 1 million, using data from the American Lung Association. Forbes then measured the cities on additional but less-weighted factors of water quality and per-capita spending on Superfund site cleanup and solid-waste management.
Seattle spends more on waste-management per capita than any other major city, Forbes determined.
Water cleanliness rankings were derived from statistics compiled by the University of Cincinnati from local reports of EPA violations. Metros were ranked based on reports of bacteria, chlorine byproducts and chemicals or metals such as arsenic, copper and lead in the drinking water.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm.
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Office of the Mayor
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