How Do Larkspur and Corte Madera Fare In Pollution Scores? See What New State Figures Say (Map)

Fast on the heels of Earth Day comes some exciting news for residents of Larkspur, which ranks among the state's leaders in pollution control. The news wasn't quite as rosy for Corte Madera, but still positive.

Based on new state figures released this week, Larkspur is in the top 81 to 85 percentile of California zip codes in terms of being at potential for health risks stemming from pollution of all sorts. Corte Madera ranks in the 61 to 65 percentile.

See a map of the data for every town in the state here

The figures come from a new state report issued by the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that compiles health risks based on 11 types of pollution and factors in seven categories of population and demographic factors, including poverty and education levels.

The purpose of the report is to identify communities that are eligible for grants from the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, according to Sam Delson, an OEHHA spokesman. The law governing that fund mandates certain percentages be spent on disadvantaged communities, making it necessary to include economic factors in the state report.

Cities that rank in the bottom 10 percent will qualify for the grant.

The state has a map of those communities that are eligible on the report website.

The map above shows scores from each of those categories as well as overall rankings for every zip code in California with a Patch publication. Simply click on any town to see the full report card for each zip code.

You can see a similar map showing every zip code in the state here, and see more details of the report on the state's website.

In general, Larkspur fares well above average on the metrics having to do with personal health, ground water and air pollution, while ranking at or below average in areas regarding traffic and solid waste. Corte Madera scored above average in areas related to hazardous waste, solid waste and groundwater.