Air

"An Indiana County [PA] power plant deemed one of the nation's biggest polluters operated without federally mandated permits even though it was inspected more than 1,100 times by state officials during the past 25 years, according to state records."

"Looming U.S. rules that power utilities face on air pollution could create nearly 1.5 million jobs over the next five years, according to a report."

"A coalition of public health organizations in the coming weeks plans to step up efforts to oppose legislation that would block or delay Environmental Protection Agency climate rules." Budget-cutting Republicans on Capitol Hill will be encouraged to reduce the healthcare costs borne by taxpayers and ratepayers as a result of air pollution.

"The St. Petersburg waterworks is putting six giant gastropods to work monitoring emissions from a sewage incinerator. The African snails, the size of some rats, are attached to sensors that will show them getting sick if they take in too much bad air."

"The Obama administration will spare a stalled power plant project in California from the newest federal limits on greenhouse gases and conventional air pollution, U.S. EPA says in a new court filing that marks a policy shift in the face of industry groups and Republicans accusing the agency of holding up construction of large industrial facilities."

New sulfur dioxide standards set by Alberta in December 2010 are far weaker than some members of an advisory panel hoped for, environmentalists say. They suspect the oil industry has gotten to Alberta Environment.

Environmentalists say mercury emissions from the TransAlta coal-burning electric power plant in Washington state are dangerous.

"The current air quality standards for carbon monoxide (CO) are strong enough to protect public health, U.S. EPA said today as the agency issued a proposal to keep the existing limits."

"U.S. EPA's air division has made headlines under President Obama for its push to limit greenhouse gases and toxic pollution, but the busy office is running late with new limits on asthma-inducing soot, close observers of the rulemaking process say."