Smog

10TH Annual State of the Air Report Publishes Local Air Quality Grades Online

4/29/2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- The 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air report released today finds that six out of ten Americans--186.1 million people -- live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives.    » read more »

Flawed Legislative Process Allowed a Handful of Lawmakers to Push Personal Agendas Instead of Solve Budget Crisis

SACRAMENTO (February 19, 2009) – Ending months of uncertainty and an unprecedented state financial crisis, California’s lawmakers passed a bi-partisan budget today. The announced plan is designed to meet the $41 billion budget shortfall through 2010, but may end up costing the state more in the long run due to partisan policy agendas designed to relax pollution standards for diesel construction equipment and a series of highway projects. A delay in clean-up of diesel emissions from off-road vehicles will cost Californians billions in healthcare costs annually.    » read more »

Grants Petition by NRDC Blocking Last-Minute Bush Move

WASHINGTON (February 10, 2009) -- The Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrator Lisa Jackson announced today that it is stopping a last-minute move by the Bush administration that would have allowed industrial facilities to increase smog and soot emissions.

The Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the EPA to block this action under the "new source review" policy of the Clean Air Act. By granting the reconsideration and administrative stay, the EPA will now have 90 days to review the policy and determine whether or not to remove the loophole -- which would prevent industries from causing further pollution.    » read more »

4 August 2008 -- As China makes last minute preparations to host the Olympics, the environment is proving to be one major wild card that Chinese leaders cannot totally control. Olympic host city Beijing has some of the most polluted air in the world. Despite measures aimed at clearing the skies, the air is still often a disturbing murky gray.

These days, people watch the skies above Beijing closely. Some days, especially after it rains, the skies are relatively clear.

More often than not, though, a thick murky haze fills the air and makes it nearly impossible to see nearby buildings.

What is causing Beijing's gray skies? Is it natural phenomena, or is it pollution?    » read more »

Nearly 20 years of data indicates air district broke federal law

LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2008) – Demanding an end to years of unregulated and illegitimate pollution credits provided by South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to polluting companies throughout the South Coast Air Basin, a coalition of environmental and environmental justice groups delivered a 60-day notice of intent to sue letter to the AQMD today.

Los Angeles smog: Photo by Ben Amstutz (CC)    » read more »

Boston, Mass., Oct. 1, 2007 – As the 2007 summer ozone season comes to an end, EPA today confirmed that New Englanders experienced a modest increase in the number of poor air quality days this year, compared to 2006. The increase in number of days with reduced air quality is related to hot weather experienced throughout the region during the summer.    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- (AUGUSTA)-- Ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to reach unhealthy levels in the southern half of Maine on Wednesday according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The area of the state subject to high levels of ozone is expected to expand on Wednesday.    » read more »

Current Proposal Fails Governor’s Promise to Slash Air Pollution

LOS ANGELES (June 22, 2007) – Community, health and environmental advocates from across the state will urge the state air board today to improve its current plan to reduce smog and particle pollution.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is scheduled to vote today on a draft plan that fails to adequately protect public health and will not meet federal air quality goals.    » read more »

Old standard not enough to protect public health

WASHINGTON (June 21, 2007)—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new draft ozone pollution regulations that fall short of the standard recommended by EPA scientific experts.

Furthermore, the new rules would allow the agency to avoid tightening the standard altogether, despite unanimous agreement from its own scientists and science advisors that the current standard is not safe.    » read more »

Court shoots down EPA, industry appeals of 2006 ruling that weak agency smog rule violates Clean Air Act

Washington, D.C. – A panel of federal judges denied appeals by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and industry to overturn the same court’s December, 2006 ruling that struck down the agency’s rule attempting to weaken protections against harmful smog-forming pollution.    » read more »

Statement by David Pettit, director, Southern California Air Quality Project, Natural Resources Defense Council and Martin Schlageter, director, Campaign and Advocacy, Coalition for Clean Air

LOS ANGELES (May 4, 2007) – Statement on today’s request by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) that a state of emergency be declared due to the air pollution in Southern California, following the recent study by the American Lung Association ranking Los Angeles as the city with the worst air quality in the country:    » read more »

PHOENIX (May 3, 2007) -- PHOENIX (May 3, 2007) - The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued a High Pollution Advisory (HPA) for Friday, May 4 for the Phoenix metropolitan area due to forecast weather conditions which are expected to generate levels of coarse Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) or dust that could exceed unhealthy levels.

The HPA is being issued for Friday because windy conditions are expected to result in unhealthy levels of airborne PM10 particles. It is the second HPA issued for 2007.    » read more »

Statement of John Kirkwood, President and CEO, American Lung Association:

New York, NY, April 19, 2007 – The American Lung Association is pleased to support the Clean Air Planning Act of 2007. We thank Senator Carper for introducing this bill to strengthen the Clean Air Act by reducing emissions from individual power plants that contribute to local air pollution problems. This legislation would result in broad regional reductions in particle pollution and smog.    » read more »

April 17, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today welcomed EPA’s decision to effectively implement California’s small engines emissions reduction target nationwide. These small engines are responsible for approximately 7 percent of all U.S. mobile source smog-forming pollutants.    » read more »