Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Attorney General’s office today [Jan. 10, 2023] released the details of a proposed settlement with diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and California law. Beyond agreeing to pay a $1.675 billion civil … Read more
OAKLAND, Calif. — Conservation and public health groups filed a lawsuit today [Sept. 28, 2023] challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to review and update air-quality standards that protect people from harmful nitrogen pollution nationwide. Federal law requires the EPA to review the pollution standards every five years and improve them as needed to ensure … Read more
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) reached a settlement agreement with American Honda Motor Corp., Inc. (Honda) of Torrance for $7.9 million for violations of CARB’s small off-road engine (SORE) air quality regulations. This is the third SORE enforcement action against Honda in the past four years. In 2021, CARB testing revealed multiple … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today [Aug. 21, 2023] that it is pulling the plug on its reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, commonly referred to as smog and starting a lengthy, slow full review. As a result of today’s decision, if the EPA doesn’t pick up … Read more
“Since the 1970s, U.S. scientists and environmental regulators made significant strides in reducing air pollution by cleaning up tailpipe and smokestack emissions. Yet levels of two of the most harmful types of pollution, ground-level ozone and fine particulates, have decreased only modestly in recent years. Both still contribute to the premature deaths of more than … Read more
Scientists from NOAA, NASA and 21 universities from three countries are deploying state-of-the-art instruments in multiple, coordinated research campaigns this month to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades. Since the 1970s, U.S. scientists and environmental regulators made significant strides in reducing air pollution by cleaning up tailpipe and smokestack emissions. Yet … Read more
There’s an electric-truck wave headed for California. Although relatively slow in coming, make no mistake: the sweep will be thorough. “‘California continues to lead by example with first-of-its-kind standards to slash air pollution and toxics from heavy-duty trucks,’ said Yana Garcia, California’s Secretary for Environmental Transportation.* ‘Where you live, work, or go to school should not … Read more
More needs to be done to protect the health of children and adolescents from the negative impacts of air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessments published [Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023]. Air pollution causes over 1,200 premature deaths per year in people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly … Read more
The American Lung Association’s new “State of the Air” report finds that nearly 120 million people in the U.S., or more than one in three, live in counties that had unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. Overall, air quality has improved across the nation; however, major differences exist between air quality in eastern and … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today [Apr. 12, 2023], EPA unveiled two regulatory proposals to lower tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. The cars proposal seeks to modernize the nation’s car standards and gradually shift passenger vehicles in the United States to non-polluting, zero emissions vehicles. The standards will cover model years 2027 to 2032, and build … Read more