Fact brief: Does pollution from the Midwest hurt Maine’s air quality?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 28, 2026

Yes. Maine’s air quality is affected by pollution from other parts of the country, including the Midwest. America’s Health Rankings, a public health data platform funded by United Health Foundation, ranks Maine fifth-best in the nation for air quality, tied with Alaska and New Mexico. But transported ozone — a lung-irritating gas formed when pollution reacts in sunlight — periodically hurts Maine’s coastal air quality. Maine receives both ozone and ozone-forming pollutants from upwind states.