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According to a recently released report by the American Lung Association, California has the worst air quality of any state in the nation – including New Jersey. That probably doesn’t surprise many Californians, but it should upset them.

Obviously, there are many natural reasons for California’s air problems.

Southern California is infamous for its basin geography, particular wind currents, and thermal inversion layers. These natural forces all contribute to the collection of pollution in the Los Angeles area.

But people are also responsible for a vast majority of that pollution. Car emissions, industrial activities, and even new construction all contribute to overall air pollution.

The ALA report comes only a few weeks after an Environmental Protection Agency report showed that 150 million Americans live with poor air quality. That number is almost identical to the 159 million cited in the ALA report. Los Angeles County received several “F” grades, in areas such as ozone and particulate pollution.

To combat high pollution levels, California regulators have imposed some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. But, in an unfortunate setback to the air quality cause, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that California emission regulations on buses, airport shuttles, and trash trucks are illegal. In a ruling that could have negative impacts on air quality throughout the state, the court said the local regulators do not have full authority over cars and trucks.

Alarmingly, the Supreme Court ruling is only the latest in a string of setbacks for environmental regulation.

Earlier this month, the EPA announced it plans to remove a 2010 deadline on ozone pollution.

Similarly, environmental groups believe the Bush administration’s changes to mercury regulations will simply extend the amount of time companies have before they have to tighten pollution controls.

The Supreme Court decision notwithstanding, both federal and state regulators must work together to maintain strict air quality rules. Local regulators, the EPA, and the Bush administration should not see themselves as competitors in a game with conflicting standards and ever-changing loopholes.

But while regulators bicker over politics, Californians continue to live with dangerous air qualities.

Federal regulators should let local regions – such as the Southern California air basin – set their own standards for pollution, as these administrators will have the best grasp on how to contend with local issues. Admittedly, a patchwork of different standards might be confusing for companies trying to do business, but nationwide standards simply cannot be expected to work for all states and regions.

The exact effects of air pollution are still disputed, but it is obvious that poor air quality hurts the environmental balance and harms human health. If only the air in California could be so clear.