By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The American Lung Association has again flunked the Tristate - among other regions nationwide - for its air quality.

The group's annual State of the Air report, issued Thursday, gives failing grades to Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio; and Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky.

"Ozone remains a pervasive health threat across the nation," said Molly Fontana, executive director of the association's Columbus office. "This is a problem that touches everyone. It's people who work outdoors; it's people who exercise outdoors."

The grades are based on air-quality measures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 1999 through 2001 - the most recent statistics available. The number of days ranked "unheathy for sensitive groups" or worse actually was lower in the latest report, but the lung association says that's only because 2001 was a cool summer.

"We're still driving as many cars as we ever have," Fontana said.

Among Tristate counties, Butler had the most bad-air days over the three-year period, with 31. Clermont had 30; Warren 21; Hamilton 20; Campbell 19; and Boone and Kenton had 11 each. The air quality in Dearborn County, Ind., is not measured.

Butler and Clermont also led in last year's report, which covered 1998 to 2000 - Butler with 44 days and Clermont with 42.

Glen Brand, the Sierra Club's Midwest representative, predicted the number of bad-air days will rise again in next year's report because it'll include 2002, which was much hotter.

"Smoggy air is an urgent public health matter in our area," Brand said. "What we need is more transportation choices, including (commuter) trains, and a commitment to manage poorly planned sprawling development."

Smog, or ozone, is created when sunlight causes the chemicals in automobile and industrial emissions to break down, with ozone one of the byproducts.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com