Clean Air?

I must be confused here. We've been told for years how dirty and defiled the air, water and soil are and the Americans are to blame. Now this?

I've been saying for years that the air, water and soil are cleaner now than it was when I was a kid. Places like Chicago, Cleveland Gary, Pittsburg, Baltimore were choked with air pollution you could see. Even sunny days were dark. Lake Erie was given up for dead and the Cuyahoga River routinely caught on fire. Love Canal and Times Beach were in the headlines.

I guess I'm just confused.