Written by Megan Green, Air Quality Program Manager

How can Mecklenburg County meet federal health-based air quality standards at the same time the American Lung Association’s (ALA)  2026 State of the Air report gives the County a failing grade? 

The answer lies in the methodology that ALA, an advocacy organization, uses to assign grades. You’ll see that it is different than how air quality agencies determine regulatory compliance with the official national health standards.