Talking Trash: These Are the Filthiest States in the US

Here are the dirtiest 25 states and some of the environmental concerns that may have influenced their rankings:

25. West Virginia

The Mountain State might not be one massive garbage dump — after all, it’s known for its green valleys and rolling hills — but it is one of the country’s leading coal producers.

West Virginia’s pretty average when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, air pollution and trash. However, BBC reported in 2019 that the area was facing a water pollution crisis due to the explosives used in the coal excavation process.

The EPA recently awarded a $1.8 million grant to improve water quality in the rivers and streams that run through the state.

24. Alaska

This chilly state is actually considered one of the best when it comes to air pollution — it produced just 6.4 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter (well below the national rate of 8.4) between 2016 and 2018 and 34 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

However, a 2019 State of the Air report by the American Lung Association found that two Alaskan cities, Fairbanks and the Mat-Su Borough, rank among the worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution due to use of wood-burning stoves.

0.01% of the state is occupied by landfills and the town of Haines has an illegal waste dumping problem, due to the expenses associated with taking your trash to the landfill, says Alaska Public Media.

23. Alabama

“Sweet Home Alabama” has a not-so-sweet pollution problem, with 108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

And while just 0.006% of the state is occupied by landfills, this figure looks very different when you take the population size into account. Alabama has 35 landfill sites per million residents, whereas New York has just three for every million, reported The Guardian in 2019.

The article also revealed that Big Sky Environmental, a landfill in Adamsville, is permitted to accept waste from 48 U.S. states and can take up to 25,000 tons of waste each day.

22. Wisconsin

As of 2019, Wisconsin contained 47 tons of trash per capita within its borders and the state also produces 1.5 tons of new waste each year.

And while the Badger State’s overall air pollution levels aren’t normally too bad, wildfire smoke from Canada triggered a spike in particle pollution levels in July, leading to an air quality advisory being issued for the entire state.

The American Lung Association also places cities like Milwaukee and Sheboygan among the top 25 most polluted cities for smog nationwide.

21. South Carolina

South Carolina, a state once recognized for taking the entire nation’s waste, isn’t faring as poorly as it used to — just 0.01% of it is occupied with landfills.

The Palmetto State’s air pollution levels aren’t that high, either — at 7.4 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter between 2016 and 2018 — it earned mixed scores from the American Lung Association in 2020. But cities like Florence, Myrtle Beach and Conway were named to the cleanest cities list for ozone pollution.

Santee Cooper power plants in Anderson, Georgetown and Berkeley counties were fined nearly $23,000 this summer, however, for releasing high amounts of air toxins.

20. Tennessee

The Volunteer State generates nearly 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but just 7.4 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter between 2016 and 2018 .

It’s come a long way from 2012, when it was ranked the 11th worst state for coal-based air pollution.

Tennessee’s water pollution levels are worsening, however. Researchers have found that over half of the state’s waterways are too contaminated to support basic functions, like drinking, fishing and swimming, says NewsChannel 5 Nashville. A decade ago, less than a third of Tennessee’s river miles were considered impaired.

19. Kentucky

The Bluegrass State has had a longstanding issue with coal pollution — nearly a decade ago, the Natural Resources Defense Council said Kentucky was the worst state in America for toxic air pollution caused by power plants.

Kentucky currently produces 114 tons million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and accumulated nearly 44 tons of trash per capita within its borders as of 2019.

Louisville, the state’s largest city, however, has seen marked improvements for ozone and particle pollution, according to an American Lung Association report published this year.

18. North Carolina

North Carolina contained less than half as much trash per capita compared to states like Michigan, for example (up next on this list) as of 2019, but it produces 115 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions.

Coal-burning power plants and vehicle emissions are to blame for the state’s pollution levels, according to the North Carolina Environmental Quality website.

As if that’s not bad enough, the Old North State’s hog industry generates over 10 billion gallons of waste annually and when waste “lagoons” reach capacity, the excess waste typically gets sprayed onto nearby fields, says The Guardian.

17. Michigan

The Great Lake State is the top state for vehicle production in the U.S., so it’s little surprise that it produces a whopping 152 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions.

Michigan’s also made headlines for its water pollution — toilet water has recently been leaching into waterways and muddying backyards, due to failing septic tanks and broken pumps, says Bridge Michigan. Nearly 30% of homes in the state have septic systems, compared to the national rate of 20%.

And the Flint water crisis that plagued residents with lead and other contaminants for five years after decades of pollution was only fairly recently resolved, after almost $400 million in funding.

16. Georgia

Georgia generates 132 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions and 8.3 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter in the air.

Atlanta is notorious for its heavy metro traffic, which typically ushers in smog and bad air quality in the summer. During the pandemic, however, particle pollution levels dropped, which may have been influenced by stay-at-home orders and fewer vehicles on the road.

Over 150 new lawsuits have accused companies BD Bard and SRG Global of dumping cancer-causing chemicals into the air or into the water in the city of Covington, although both have denied any wrongdoing.

15. Virginia

A quarter of Virginia’s solid waste was brought in from other states last year, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. Maryland is the biggest culprit, dumping 2.4 million tons within Old Dominion’s borders.

Air pollution levels in the state aren’t normally too high, however wildfire smoke from nearby states and Canada led to a health alert being issued this summer.

The state recently announced it would be allocating $411.5 million in federal aid to reduce water pollution and increase access to clean water.

14. Louisiana

Louisiana produces 226 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions, making it one of the worst states on this list for atmospheric pollution.

There’s even a stretch between New Orleans and Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River that has been nicknamed “Cancer Alley” for housing so many petrochemical plants. Right in the middle sits the small community of Reserve, where the cancer risk is almost 50 times the national average.

There’s even a planned $9.4 billion petrochemical facility that The Guardian says would roughly double toxic emissions around the area and potentially release up to 13 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year to become one of the biggest pollution-causing plastics facilities across the globe.

13. New York

Traffic-congested New York releases 157 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions.

Researchers claim the state capital suffers from 1,400 premature deaths every year and loses billions of dollars in health costs, specifically due to vehicle pollution.

The city’s subways are also considered the most polluted in the Northeast, according to a recent study — the filthiest system is the Port Authority Trans-Hudson lines, which connect NYC to northern New Jersey, while the Christopher Street PATH station in Manhattan showed the highest particulate air pollution levels across the globe.

In July, smoke from nearby wildfires helped push the Big Apple to rank among the worst cities for air quality in the world.

12. Massachusetts

Roughly 0.02% of Massachusetts is occupied by landfills. But there are not enough landfills and space in existing ones in the state is dwindling. Some worry the Bay State could be facing a potential waste disposal crisis, especially as contractor prices rise.

The state awarded $3 million in grants to towns this year to fight water pollution as elevated levels of PFAS — chemicals used while manufacturing some household products — have been found in public water supply systems.

While the air pollution level in the state isn’t normally too high, western wildfire smoke led to the issuing of a statewide air quality alert.

11. Florida

It’s not all clean air and blue skies in the Sunshine State, unfortunately — Florida produces 227 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

It’s also one of 12 states to not require auto emissions testing. In the meanwhile, the Tampa Bay area has seen vehicle emissions skyrocket by 55% between 1990 to 2017, says The New York Times.

Water pollution is a concern as well. The state has spent nearly $20 million preventing or treating algae blooms in its waters for a decade, says the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG).

10. Maryland

The Old Line State made it to the filthiest 10 on this list for its garbage problem. The big city of Baltimore is strewn with litter and its Solid Waste Bureau does not have the resources to clean up after its massive population, says John Chalmers, head of the agency, in an interview with The Baltimore Sun.

Landfills make up over 0.02% of the state. Those landfills released about 51,500 tons of methane in 2017, according to the Environmental Integrity Project, accounting for 37% of the state’s total methane emissions.

The EPA awarded $2.2 million to improve water quality in rivers and streams throughout the state in late 2020, particularly to reduce nonpoint source pollution — caused when rainfall or snowmelt carry and deposit pollutants into waterways.

9. Illinois

Illinois’ air pollution level was at 9.3 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter between 2016 and 2018. 52.4 tons of trash was buried per capita in 2019, with over 2 tons of new waste per capita generated annually.

And look at Chicago — it’s been named the US city with the most rats for years by pest control company Orkin. The issue escalated during pandemic lockdowns, when bars and restaurants were closed. The four-legged fiends took to homes, yards and even cars to sate their hunger.

In the summer of 2020, the Windy City had its longest streak of high pollution levels in over a decade, thanks to an unhealthy combination of heat and sun with vehicle exhaust and emissions.

8. Ohio

Back in the ’70s, Ohio was so filthy that drivers had to use their headlights during the day and brush soot off their cars with snow brushes. Things aren’t nearly so bad today, but Ohio still ranks among the dirtiest states in the U.S.

The Buckeye State generates 204 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions and buries 48.8 tons of trash per capita.

Cleveland, a port city that was once dominated by manufacturing industries (before pivoting to health care), ranks among the most air polluted cities in the country, according to the *American Lung Association.

7. Indiana

Indiana’s reliance on automobiles and lack of investment in public transit — not to mention those coal-fired power plants on the southern side of the state — have likely contributed to the state’s poor environment, according to IndyStar.