Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
ST. JAMES PARISH, LA — Formosa Plastics wants to build a massive petrochemical complex with 14 facilities that make single-use plastic products. Even though the facility is not yet built, the company must renew its operating permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act. Since Formosa Plastics last applied for these permits in 2020, … Read more
Emissions-reductions’ the word! Pollutant emissions in California have been on the retreat for quite some time now. And, for good reason. According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, in 2023 just in the Valley alone, 8,492 tons of fine particulates (PM2.5), 10,383 tons of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 7,179 tons of … Read more
Los Angeles has been given the infamous, inglorious distinction of being labeled as the smog capital of the United States. Coupling injury with insult, it was in the early 1940s when the scourge first surfaced in the south-state region. The early 1940s! Though there are still dangerous smog episodes that crop up from time to … Read more
In its “State of the Air” 2024 report, the American Lung Association reported that 131 million Americans (39 percent) are exposed to harmful-to-health air pollution. At least four million of that total make California’s San Joaquin Valley their home. This demographic is exposed to, among other toxic pollutant emissions, carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen … Read more
GILLETTE, WY — The Biden administration announced today that it will end coal leasing in the Powder River Basin – the largest coal-producing region in the United States. The decision represents an historic shift in federal management of coal in the region, recognizing that the market has shifted away from coal as an electricity source … Read more
In cities and in rural areas, in red states and blue states, most residents want cleaner and more connected communities. Public transit — including trains, buses, and dial-a-ride services — and accessible walking and bike routes give us healthy, clean, and affordable ways for everyone to get where they need to go. But for too … Read more
Nowadays, considerable time and energy is devoted to combatting climate change and global warming directly — which is a good thing. At the same time, significant time and energy is spent on dealing with climate change/global warming fallout — and that isn’t. Making worse those matters, it has been known for some time now that … Read more
The American Lung Association’s new “State of the Air” report reveals that spikes in deadly particle pollution are the most severe they’ve been in the history of the report. According to the new report, people in the U.S. experienced the most days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality due to particle pollution in 25 … Read more
A new Emory University study has found that adults exposed to high levels of air pollution were at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In a study of 1,113 participants between the ages of 45-75 from the Emory Healthy Brain Study, all of whom were from the Atlanta metropolitan area, the researchers found positive biomarkers … Read more
WASHINGTON— A federal appeals court today upheld California’s longstanding waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which allows the state to set its own program of clean vehicle regulations. The court dismissed a suit brought by the oil and gas industry allied with corn ethanol and biodiesel growers and 17 Republican-led states. In March 2022 … Read more