Air

Anything related to air quality, air pollution, or the atmosphere

EPA-Mandated Regional Haze Plans Open Horizons on Local, State Stories

A Biden administration move to force states to submit cleanup plans for regional haze offers opportunities to report air pollution news in your area, writes the latest TipSheet. The Clean Air Act regulatory program, focused on parks and wilderness areas, is not just about the scenery, but human health too. The backstory and the list of states, plus reporting resources and story ideas.

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Will New Indiana Plant Recycle Plastic Waste or Just Incinerate It?

"After two years, Brightmark Energy has yet to get the factory up and running. Environmentalists say pyrolysis requires too much energy, emits greenhouse gases and pollutants, and turns plastic waste into new, dirty fossil fuels."

Source: Inside Climate News, 09/12/2022

Burgeoning National EV Trend Helps Drive Local Environment, Climate Stories

The auto market is getting supercharged by California’s recent decision to require all-electric vehicle sales in a little over a decade. The latest TipSheet looks at how this big national trend will affect climate change by cutting CO2 emissions, how California came to have such an outsized impact on the U.S. market and how local environmental reporters can plug in for stories around their communities.

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Methane and Climate Change Toolbox

Levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have doubled in the past 150 years due to human activity, particularly from fossil fuels and extensive farming. As part of an ongoing Society of Environmental Journalists special project focused on covering climate solutions, check out a methane resource toolbox and stay tuned for a methane reporting tipsheet in the coming weeks. Plus, watch the recording of an SEJ virtual webinar, Covering Climate Solutions: Containing and Monitoring Methane.

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"States Ride Shotgun With California to Rev Up Clean Cars Rules"

"Nearly one-third of states are poised to adopt California’s new clean cars rule to fully phase out new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035. The change could have a sweeping impact on the 17 states signed onto California’s vehicle standards and the car market across the country. In total, those states make up roughly 40% of nationwide auto sales."

Source: Bloomberg Environment, 09/02/2022

Leak Of Dangerous Chlorine Shows Gaps In La. Monitoring Of Chemical Plants

"Six days after a state Senate panel killed legislation that would have required real-time air monitoring along the edges of major Louisiana industrial facilities, an Olin Chemical subsidiary had a significant chlorine gas leak that sickened 39 people."

Source: Baton Rouge Advocate, 09/01/2022

"When an Oil Well Is Your Neighbor"

"Three years ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to safeguard the health and safety of people living near oil and gas operations, but change hasn’t come. Millions still live near noxious oil and gas rigs, many long exempt from air pollution rules, as scientific evidence of their harm mounts."

Source: Inside Climate News, 08/30/2022

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