U.S. says 14 more Ohio counties meet smog standard

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says 14 more Ohio counties with a history of air pollution now satisfy air quality standards for smog.

The agency has approved a request to designate eight counties in the Cleveland area and six counties in the Columbus area as now meeting federal air quality standards from 1997.

A new, stricter air standard was adopted in 2008 nationally, and it’s possible that parts of Ohio and other states will not reach the standard when new federal classifications come out next year.

The counties the EPA approved today in the Cleveland area are Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit.

The counties in the Columbus area are Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking and Madison.