Originally published March 20, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified March 20, 2008 at 7:32 PM

Seattle's No. 2 on Forbes list of cleanest cities

The Seattle area has ranked second — to Miami — as the nation's cleanest city of the year, according to Forbes magazine. The 2008 rating is...

By Seattle Times staff

The Seattle area has ranked second — to Miami — as the nation's cleanest city of the year, according to Forbes magazine.

The 2008 rating is based on federal air-quality rankings, combined with drinking-water quality, how much each city spends per capita on garbage handling and recycling, and on the cleanup of toxic Superfund sites.

Weather patterns help keep Seattle's air relatively clean, and it's known for its clean drinking water piped from high in the Cascade Mountains. Seattle spent the most per person of any city on handling trash and recycling, according to Forbes. It also has a large Superfund site on its front porch, in the Duwamish River.

Other cities in the top 10, in order, were Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Portland; San Francisco; Oklahoma City; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; and San Jose-Sunnyvale, Calif.

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