Pittsburgh: It's Not Like It's Getting Any Worse

I think for years now (pretty much since I left Pittsburgh in '04), I've been defending the city of my birth - the usual line being something like "Pittsburgh is great. I don't want to live there anymore, but really, it's a very fine city." The common conception about Pittsburgh is that it's still a polluted mess of a city, what from all the steel mills and such. I am always quick to point out that Pittsburgh's industry collapsed decades ago (which also helps to explain the prevalence of Steelers fans in some many other non-Pittsburgh locales), and that the city is actually quite clean now, and in fact there's only one steel mill left in the area at all (where every citizen of Pittsburgh has at least one extended family member working (that's not true, it's just my explanation)). Apparently, according to this article on everyones favorite corporate news website, I am wrong to defend Pittsburgh's polluted reputation.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, overtook Los Angeles in the category that measures short-term particle pollution or soot.

"It's not that Pittsburgh has gotten worse; it's that Los Angeles has gotten better," Nolen said. "If the trend continues, Pittsburgh will top two lists, and LA will only be leading the nation in ozone."