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FACT BRIEF

Is Nevada one of the most polluted states?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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YES

Among the 50 states, Nevada ranked 46th for air and water quality and 49th for pollution, and was rated the worst state overall for its natural environment, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2021 Best States rankings.

Nevada's rate of industrial toxins (3,063 pounds per square mile) was triple the national average (959 pounds per square mile) due to its mining activity.

It also had 177 day with unhealthy air quality, compared to the national average of 104. While Nevada is in the "good" range of the EPA's Air Quality Index overall, its urban areas are highly polluted, receiving "F' grades for ozone and particulate matter from the American Lung Association.

The state did rank slightly above average for drinking water quality, with 1.39 violation points per 100,000 residents compared to the national average of 2.08.

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US News & World Report Nevada
Nevada Current Mining lands Nevada on top of national toxic material report
US Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality Index Report
American Lung Association Report Card: Nevada
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.