Overheated trees are contributing to urban air pollution
New Scientist
JUNE 20, 2024
An aerial survey of Los Angeles reveals that high temperatures cause plants to emit more compounds that can contribute to harmful ozone and PM2.5 air pollution
Air pollution can make insects mate with the wrong species
New Scientist
APRIL 11, 2024
Ground-level ozone, a product of pollution from cars, degrades insect pheromones, and this can result in mismatched mating and sterile offspring
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Air Pollution & Climate Change: Global Phenomena, Individual Consequences
Breezometer
OCTOBER 31, 2021
In the presence of heat and sunlight, chemical emissions from cars and factories react to form ozone (learn more here )., a harmful pollutant. As average temperatures rise, ozone levels accelerate. Repeated and excessive traffic pollution and poor air quality were determined to be linked to Ella's worsening asthma.
The State of the Air in 2024? Not Great
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 13, 2024
So of course the American Lung Association ’s yearly report, State of the Air (SOTA), published every year since 2000, is of professional and personal interest. The air quality for this report was calculated using data reviewed by EPA from 2020, 2021, and 2022. Ozone, too, poses significant risks to respiratory health.
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Ozone exposure may be linked to depression in adolescents, study finds
Environmental News Bits
APRIL 8, 2022
Exposure to ozone from air pollution may be connected to a rise in depression among adolescents, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal Developmental Psychology on Monday, is the first to link ozone levels to the development of depression in adolescents over time. Read the full story at The Hill.
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Protecting Public Health Is Complicated. But Science Can Help, and the Time Is Now.
Union of Concerned Scientists
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
For example, inclusion of a non-chemical stressor—higher daily temperatures—was considered in the scientific document used to support the ozone standard , since there is evidence that exposure to higher daily temperatures together with ozone exposure is associated with higher mortality.
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Air pollution significantly reduces pollination by confusing butterflies and bees
Environmental News Bits
FEBRUARY 9, 2022
A new study finds pollination reduced by almost a third when diesel fumes and ozone were present – the negative impact of these common air pollutants on pollination were observed in the natural environment. Read the full story from the University of Reading. Read more →
Climate Change Threatens Already Poor Air Quality in California’s Central Valley
Union of Concerned Scientists
JULY 26, 2022
California’s Central Valley consistently experiences the country’s worst air quality, and climate change is poised to make air quality even worse. In a region known for its exceptional agricultural productivity, climate change is quickly amplifying a dangerous type of climate risk in California’s Central Valley: air pollution.
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What Exactly is Ozone? The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Breezometer
DECEMBER 7, 2021
Our ozone layer serves as a lifesaving UV barrier for planet earth, functioning to absorb most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. At the same time, ground-level ozone pollution is extremely harmful to human health. Good Ozone’: Our Essential Sun Shield. How is Ozone Created?
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Air pollution makes it harder for pollinators to find plants
New Scientist
JANUARY 18, 2022
Levels of nitrogen oxides and ozone on a par with average concentrations next to major UK roads led to a reduction in the number of pollinators counted on the crops by up to 70 per cent
Wildfires Are Fueling a Toxic Combo of Air Pollutants
Scientific American
JANUARY 6, 2022
population to a stew of particulate matter and ozone. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com. The 2020 fire season subjected half the western U.S.
DC Circuit dismisses utility-backed challenge to EPA cross-state ozone rule
Environmental News Bits
MARCH 6, 2023
A federal appeals court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a utility-supported organization that sought to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s revised 2021 Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule for ozone.
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Extreme air pollution from US wildfires now affects millions of people
New Scientist
JANUARY 5, 2022
The simultaneous occurence of extreme levels of ozone and particulate matter have increased significantly in the past decade due to wildfires in the western US
State Air Regulations Can Go Above and Beyond National Standards
Legal Planet
AUGUST 22, 2023
States and local air quality regulators have the legal authority to set particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions standards and adopt regulations for these pollutants when they are already in attainment of the national ambient air quality standards ( NAAQS ) set by the U.S.
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130 EPA Grant Program Helps to Accelerate Transition to Cleaner Ports
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 2, 2024
Air pollution from ports comes from many sources: ships, trains, tugboats, cargo equipment, and – quite importantly – the trucks that move cargo containers to and from ports. Because drayage trucks tend to be among the oldest tractor trucks on the road, they tend to pollute at greater rates than other tractors.
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Centering Public Health at the UN Climate Talks
Legal Planet
DECEMBER 19, 2023
With the backdrop of the first-ever Health Day at the annual UN climate conference, air quality in Dubai soared, as PM2.5 pollution reached 155 micrograms per cubic unit. Air pollution is harmful to human health as it exacerbates and causes an increase in health issues, like respiratory illnesses. I was wrong.
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Improving EPA’s Latest Ozone Transport Rule
Acoel
JUNE 29, 2022
The downwind air quality benefits are minimal. The proposed rule would provide de minimus air quality benefits in downwind areas with extremely high costs – estimated by EPA at $22 billion discounted 2016 dollars for the 2023-2042 period. enjoyed ozone reductions of 3 to 5 ppb or more. ppb by 2025. EPA estimated that: .
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Why the Bay Area’s Zero-Emission Appliance Rule is a Big Deal
Legal Planet
MARCH 15, 2023
Additionally, NOx react with other chemicals in the air to create other harmful pollutants, like fine particulate matter and ozone. Gas stoves are a significant driver of childhood asthma , leaking methane even while turned off and releasing as much nationwide climate pollution each year as 500,000 cars.
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Ohio EPA Division of Air Pollution Control hosts Program Advisory Group Meeting
Vorys Law
JANUARY 26, 2021
On January 20, 2021, the Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control (DAPC) hosted a “Program Advisory Group” (PAG) meeting via Microsoft Teams to inform interested stakeholders of recent and upcoming DAPC activities. This post focuses on Ohio EPA’s anticipated regulatory changes to address non-attainment of the 2015 Ozone NAAQS.
Congress Considers First-Ever Purchase Incentive for Commercial EVs
Union of Concerned Scientists
AUGUST 2, 2022
A key step towards addressing climate change and air quality. Cleaning up heavy-duty vehicles is one of the most consequential tasks in reducing climate-warming greenhouse gases and toxic air pollution from the transportation sector. These policies will complement the important provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
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How climate change may impact ozone pollution and public health through the 21st century
Environmental News Bits
MARCH 3, 2022
Climate researchers are learning that warming temperatures and heat waves resulting from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could adversely affect air quality in the United States and increase deaths from air pollution exposure. This effect is referred to as the “climate penalty.”
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The Supreme Court & Interstate Pollution
Legal Planet
JUNE 27, 2024
Months ago, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an “emergency” request to stay EPA’s new rule regulating interstate air pollution. A Supreme Court case called EME Homer upheld EPA’s general approach to regulating interstate air pollution. Circuit even had a chance to consider the merits of the challenges.
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Supreme Court Sidelines Science, Threatens Public Health: These Rules-in-Progress Show What’s at Stake
Union of Concerned Scientists
JULY 9, 2024
To explore a small piece of what is at stake, let’s take a quick look at some of the rules currently under review at the EPA: Air emission reporting requirements If finalized and implemented, this rule will improve the way air pollution emissions are estimated and collected by the EPA.
DEP Awards $2.9 Million For Clean Diesel Transportation To Improve Air Quality
PA Environment Daily
APRIL 24, 2024
million to seven applicants for the PA State Clean Diesel Grant Program , which provides financial incentives and support for fleet owners and operators to reduce air pollution from their vehicle fleets. Transportation is one of our biggest areas of impact for improving air quality,” said DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley.
What If We Succeed?
Legal Planet
AUGUST 23, 2021
Urban air pollution kills millions of people around the world. We will also get rid of coal mines and oil wells, which produce other kinds of pollution today. If we work really hard, however, we can keep the impacts manageable. Accomplishing that will be no easy feat. What does it buy us?
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Other 2023 N.C. Environmental Legislation
Smith Enviorment
DECEMBER 19, 2023
Other air quality provisions expedite permitting and construction of new or expanded sources of air pollutants. Some background — As required by the Clean Air Act, North Carolina has a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for ozone pollution describing how the state will meet the federal ozone standard.
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HELLA & BreezoMeter’s Air Quality Management System for Vehicles
Breezometer
APRIL 4, 2022
Exposure to air pollution during our regular, daily commutes is a major health risk. The Problem With Air Pollution On The Road. The average driver in some countries can spend as much as 4 years on the road throughout their lifetime, regularly exposing them to harmful levels of air pollution.
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EPA Proposes Rejection of San Joaquin Valley Air District PM2.5 SIP Submittal
Legal Planet
OCTOBER 26, 2022
discussing the ways in which local air districts can take action to end harmful air pollution from building appliances. In California, CARB and the state’s 35 local air districts share authority to adopt and enforce control strategies to achieve these standards.
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How Does The U.S EPA Report on Air Quality ?
Breezometer
OCTOBER 25, 2021
In both the US AQI and the Nowcast, the higher the value, the greater the level of air pollution, and the greater the health concern. What Pollutants Does it Cover? Ground-level ozone (03) Particle pollution (PM2.5 Ground-level ozone (03) Particle pollution (PM 2.5) Particle pollution (PM 10).
Clean Fleets Rule Slated to Deliver Healthier Air for Californians
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 4, 2023
Trucks and buses on California’s roads and highways are responsible for the majority of lung-damaging fine particulate and ozone-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, and a sizable amount of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions as well.
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Changes to California’s Electric Truck Proposal Could Reap Huge Climate and Air Quality Gains
Union of Concerned Scientists
OCTOBER 13, 2022
The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule has the potential to significantly reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as harmful air pollutants like fine particulates (PM2.5) These trucks regularly operate along industrial corridors – areas that often flank communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
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DEP Issues Code Orange Air Quality Action Day Saturday, June 5 In Southwest PA Counties
PA Environment Daily
JUNE 4, 2021
On June 4, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Saturday, June 5 in the southwestern counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland.
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EPA, Justice Dept., DEP Announce $5.275 Million In Penalties, Plus $1.4 Million In Abandoned Well Plugging Funding Against Shale Gas Drilling Companies-- XTO Energy, Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company For Federal, State Clean Air Act Violations
PA Environment Daily
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
XTO) [ExxonMobil] and Hilcorp Energy Company (Hilcorp) , agreed to resolve alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving their oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania. In separate agreements, XTO Energy Inc. Its operations stretch from the Great Plains to Appalachia.
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What Is Your Business Doing For Clean Air Day? | BreezoMeter
Breezometer
JUNE 12, 2022
Clean Air Day brings together different communities, businesses, educational institutes, and health sector facilities to participate in the largest air pollution campaign in the UK, which suffers from an estimated 36,000 air pollution-linked deaths every year. Clean Air Day 2022: What’s the Big Deal?
Operationalizing Climate Science
Real Climate
NOVEMBER 17, 2024
Where, at the beginning, there was really only one input parameter (the CO 2 concentration) that needed to be coordinated, the inputs have now broadened to include myriad forcings related to other greenhouse gases, air pollution, land surface change, ozone, the sun, volcanoes, irrigation, meltwater etc.
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322 EPA: Power Plant, Pipeline, Cement, Paper, Glass And Other Industries In PA, Other States Face Tighter NOx Standards Under EPA’s Final Good Neighbor Rule
PA Environment Daily
MARCH 15, 2023
The final rule will improve air quality for millions of people living in downwind communities, saving thousands of lives, keeping people out of the hospital, preventing asthma attacks, and reducing sick days.
DEP Issues Air Quality Action Day Alert For Sunday, June 6 For Southwest PA, Susquehanna Valley, Lehigh Valley, Southeast PA
PA Environment Daily
JUNE 5, 2021
On June 5, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Sunday, June 6 in the Lehigh Valley, Southwest and Southeast PA and the Susquehanna Valley. Conditions will be favorable for ozone concentrations on Sunday to climb into the code ORANGE range.
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How Garden-Variety Air Pollution Regulation Promotes Environmental Justice
Legal Planet
MARCH 16, 2023
Evidence is mounting that air pollution regulation is an effective way of reducing health disparities between disadvantaged communities and the population as a whole. The basic reason is simple: Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to poor communities and communities of color.
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Oil Refineries: A Deadly Industry
Union of Concerned Scientists
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Since global and local pollutants are often byproducts of the same activities, mitigation policies for global warming emissions have the potential to simultaneously mitigate local air pollution 2. One good example of the nexus between global warming and local pollution is ground-level ozone. have a diameter of 2.5
Particulate Matter: What Is It, And What Is It Not? | BreezoMeter
Breezometer
MARCH 23, 2022
In the world of air pollution and air quality, there is a lot of discussion about Particulate matter (PM) and its impact on the health of people all over the world. But what exactly is PM pollution and how does it affect us? PM pollution can consist of a number of different materials and compounds.
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DEP Posted 56 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In February 3 PA Bulletin
PA Environment Daily
FEBRUARY 2, 2024
Comments due March 8. -- The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the February 3 PA Bulletin inviting comments on proposed 2024 Ozone Season Nitrogen Oxide Emission Limits for Nonelectric Generating Units.
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DEP Issues Notice Of Violation To Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County For Air Quality Violations In Sept. - Oct.
PA Environment Daily
DECEMBER 14, 2022
Shell’s air quality plan approval states that the facility’s emissions of VOCs shall not equal or exceed 516.2 This exceedance is a violation of Shell’s plan approvals ( PA-04-00740A , PA-04-00740B , and PA-04-00740C ) and the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act and regulations. tons of VOCs in a 12-month period.
DEP Issues $1.1 Million Civil Penalty To Equitrans For Violations Related To The Uncontrolled Venting Of 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Gas From The Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area In Cambria County
PA Environment Daily
APRIL 9, 2024
The total civil penalty assessments include $350,000 for air quality violations, which is the maximum civil penalty assessment allowable under the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act, and $764,000 pursuant to Pennsylvania’s oil and gas and solid waste laws.
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PUC Invites Comments On Petition To Issue A Policy Statement On Electric Utility Rate Design For Electric Vehicle Charging
PA Environment Daily
MARCH 11, 2022
The burning of transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, is a substantial source of air pollution. ChargEVC-PA noted the Commission has already taken some steps to promote EV adoption.
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