Smog levels affect funds.(in Florida)(Brief Article)

* IMPACT: Transportation dollars from federal sources could be cut

Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties flunked an air quality assessment conducted by the American Lung Association, and are among 400 counties which were rated "F" for ozone air pollution, a gussied-up name "smog."

Experts attribute the smog problem in metro areas such as the Tampa Bay area and Orlando to growth in transportation systems.

"The smog in Orlando is due to intense traffic, especially on 14," says Cheryl Tan, program director at the American Association of Central Florida in Orlando. "You have more air pollution when you have more cars just sitting in traffic, and the humidity in Florida and the lack of air movement here …