A first for Mecklenburg County’s air: 0 smog days in 2025

HERBERT L. WHITE | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Mecklenburg County recorded zero smog days in 2025, the first time in county history air quality remained at healthy levels throughout a calendar year.

Mecklenburg County’s air was historically clean in 2025.

For the first time since air quality records have been kept, air pollution stayed within healthy limits every day. Although Mecklenburg has met health-based air quality standards over the last decade, it still averaged five unhealthy days yearly – usually caused by high levels of ground level ozone and particle pollution.  

County officials cited favorable weather conditions, pollution reduction efforts and limited impacts from wildfires, prescribed burns and fireworks for the improvement.  

“It’s important to celebrate this milestone for the health of our community,” District 1 county Commissioner Elaine Powell, who chairs of the panel’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. “Clean air is vital and something we should never take for granted. We are proud to continue to invest in a team of dedicated experts who take a proactive approach to public engagement, pollution reduction programs, and data monitoring.”  

Mecklenburg County is one of three North Carolina counties – Buncombe and Forsyth are the others – with a dedicated air quality agency to monitor data and compliance with air pollution rules as well as implement programs.  

“Mecklenburg County Air Quality is a local team of scientists, engineers and communications professionals who are out in the community measuring air pollution, improving air quality, and listening and responding to residents,” director Leslie Rhodes said in a statement. “We are proud of their work, which has culminated in a decade of meeting health-based air quality standards and a full year without a Code Orange or higher air quality day.”   

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