Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 | 11:04 a.m.
Beyond the Sun
Las Vegas came in last on a new list comparing it to other U.S. cities, but this time it’s a good thing.
Forbes ranked the Las Vegas metro area last on its list of the most toxic cities in the country.
The Web site compared the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas and looked at each city’s air quality, its number of Superfund sites, the number of facilities that release toxic material and pounds of toxic chemicals released.
Las Vegas’ spot on the bottom of the list was just below Sacramento and Riverside, in California, Austin, Texas, and Seattle.
The top spots on the list went to Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.
According to Forbes’ list, Las Vegas has five Superfund sites, 50 facilities releasing toxic materials and has an EPA air quality index score of 11. A Superfund site is an uncontrolled or abandoned place where hazardous waste is located.
Forbes pointed out that the most toxic cities are generally crowded urban areas, whereas Las Vegas has more sprawl and is a younger city without older factories or high-polluting industries.
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