The AirZone Blog

Climate Change Impacts on Regional Air Quality Report Just Released by EPA

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:49:19 PDT

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a report on the potential impacts of climate change on regional U.S. air quality. The information contained in the report will enhance our ability as a nation to protect air quality and human health.The report, “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate

EPA Launches New Campaign to Educate Kids on Fighting Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:53:11 PDT

(Washington, D.C. - April 16, 2009) With Earth Day only a few days away, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is kicking off the 2009 “Change the World, Start with Energy Star” campaign to educate kids and their families about how to save money and fight climate change through energy efficiency.“People of every age have a part to play in confronting climate change,” said EPA

EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:36:44 PDT

Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment

EPA Publishes Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:22:36 PDT

(Washington, D.C. – April 15, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007, is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United

National Environmental Education Week

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:00:33 PDT

This week, April 12-18, is National Environmental Education Week (EE Week).This is the largest organized environmental education event in the US. EE Week increases the educational impact of Earth Day by creating a full week of educational preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums. By participating in EE Week, students are encouraged to

Study Finds Environmental Education Programs Lead to Cleaner Air

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:02:29 PDT

National Environmental Education Week: April 12-18(Washington, D.C. – April 13, 2009) A first of its kind study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are an effective tool in helping to improve air quality in North America. "This study shows a valuable connection between better environmental education and cleaner air in our communities," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Air Board Chairman Issues Statement on $1.7 Million in Stimulus Funds for Air Quality Improvements

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:47:18 PDT

SACRAMENTO, CA – Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols issued a statement on today’s announcement by the Obama Administration that it is providing each of the 50 states with $1.7 million to retrofit diesel school buses as part of the overall federal stimulus program."The state and its school children thank the Obama Administration for sending this funding our way to clean up older, dirty

EPA Names Priority Schools for Monitoring Toxic Outdoor Air Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:36:40 PDT

In an unprecedented effort to help protect children from toxic air pollution around schools, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced a list of schools that will undergo outdoor air monitoring.“As a mother, I understand that concerned parents deserve this information as quickly as we can gather and analyze it,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA, state, and local officials are

EPA Launches Interactive Web Tools in Celebration of Earth Month

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:28:32 PDT

EPA to Public: Earth Day is Every Day(Washington, D.C. – April 1, 2009) The first Earth Day started 39 years ago when 20 million Americans decided we needed to do something about our environment. To begin Earth Month, EPA is launching several on-line communication tools to help educate Americans about how to protect their health and their environment.Here is a list of several interactive tools

EPA Awards $3.5 Million in Grants for Particulate Matter Research

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:19:46 PDT

(Washington, D.C. – April 3, 2009) EPA awarded four grants to universities to research the relationship between the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) and health effects. PM is a complex mixture that consists of direct emissions and reaction products formed in the atmosphere.“These EPA Science To Achieve Results grants will build bridges between two different research communities –

U.S. Proposes to Slash Harmful Ship Emissions Along the Nation’s Coastlines to Save Lives

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:46:13 PDT

(Washington, D.C. – March 30, 2009) The United States took a critical step towards protecting Americans from harmful ship emissions by becoming the first country to ask the International Maritime Organization to create an emissions control area (ECA) around the nation’s coastline, the EPA announced today at a joint news conference with the Coast Guard and New Jersey elected officials.According to

Protecting American Health from Global Shipping Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:47:16 PDT

"Emission Control Area" Means Healthier Air for Millions of AmericansWASHINGTON, March 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report released today finds that more than 87 million Americans live in port areas that are not meeting federal health-based air quality standards. The report, Protecting American Health from Global Shipping Pollution, documents the public health effects associated with air

Air Pollution Contributes to Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:01:59 PDT

New study supports efforts to protect children from air pollutionAt its monthly regulatory hearing, the California Air Resources Board reviewed the results of a national study that linked exacerbation of childhood allergies to increased air pollution. A survey of more than 70,000 children, aged three to 17, revealed that exposure to greater amounts of ozone or particulate matter triggers more

Inhaling A Heart Attack: How Air Pollution Can Cause Heart Disease

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:39:03 PDT

BETHESDA, Md. (March 18, 2009) We are used to thinking of heart disease as a product of genetic factors or lifestyle choices, such as what we eat and how much we exercise. There is another road to heart disease: breathing.Accumulating evidence indicates that an increase in particulate air pollution is associated with an increase in heart attacks and deaths. Research has begun in the relatively

UN Climate Organization Warns Link Between Pollution, Weather, Climate Impact Health

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:18:03 PDT

GENEVA (RPRN)23 March 2009- The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization says there is a close relationship between weather-climate systems and global pollution. The organization says these relationships also affect people’s health.The World Meteorological Organization says 90 percent of all natural disasters are related to weather, water and climate events. It says air quality is an

EPA Announces $211 Million of Recovery Act Funding Available to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Spur Redevelopment, Create Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:27:53 PDT

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas will receive funding to create jobs to help the public breathe cleaner air and support brownfieldsState and local governments, nonprofit organizations and tribal agencies can now apply for up to an estimated $211 million in funding that will help create jobs for redevelopment nationwide and protect communities and the environment from diesel

Blue Sky Research Reveals Increase in Global Air Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:10:11 PDT

A University of Maryland-led team has compiled the first decades-long database of aerosol measurements over land, making possible new research into how air pollution affects climate change.Using this new database, the researchers show that clear sky visibility over land has decreased globally over the past 30 years, indicative of increases in aerosols, or airborne pollution. Their findings are

Long-Term Ozone Exposure Linked to Higher Risk of Death, Finds Nationwide Study

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:02:52 PDT

BERKELEY — Long-term exposure to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, is associated with an increased risk of death from respiratory ailments, according to a new nationwide study led by a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.The study, to be published in the March 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed the risk of death for both ozone and fine

California Report on Locomotive Emissions Reduction Options

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:49:16 PDT

From the AECC Newsletter:The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released a draft technical evaluation of options for the further reduction of locomotive and railyard emissions. This preliminary draft discusses options such as engine replacements and the retrofitting of existing locomotives with particulate filters (DPF) or combined particulate filter and selective catalytic reduction (SCR)

EPA Proposes First National Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:10:40 PDT

(Washington, D.C. – March 10, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States.“Our efforts to confront climate change must be guided by the best possible information,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Through this new

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:11:04 PST

(Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2009) EPA is seeking public comment on the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007 draft report. This report will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.The draft report shows that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. This trend was due primarily to

California Proposes Regulation Targeting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fuels

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:03:44 PST

New standard would lead to the widespread production and distribution of low-carbon fuels for vehiclesSACRAMENTO - Today the Air Resources Board released a proposed regulation that would implement Governor Schwarzenegger's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a policy to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from California's transportation fuels by ten percent by 2020 and more thereafter. Today's release of

Jackson Announces EPA Schools Monitoring Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:24:31 PST

Administrator Jackson: ‘Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play – and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn.’Lisa Jackson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced today a new initiative to further measure levels of toxic air pollution near many schools across the country for better protection. EPA and its

EPA Provides $1.35M to Improve Air Quality in Massachusetts with Clean Diesel Projects

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:11:45 PST

(Boston, Mass. – Feb. 26, 2009) – Significant funding is being delivered to several Massachusetts projects that will help improve air quality in the Commonwealth.In a ceremony at the Massachusetts Port Authority’s (Massport) Boston Fish Pier, EPA announced more than $1.35 million in funding to help reduce pollution from diesel vehicles and equipment operating in New England. The grants are being

EPA Proposes to Reduce Air Toxics from Stationary Diesel and Gas-Fired Engines

noreply@blogger.com (CleanAIR Systems) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:01:46 PST

(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 27, 2009) For the first time, EPA is proposing to set emission limits for formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein and other air toxics from certain stationary diesel and gas-fired engines. In 2008, over 1 million of these engines generated electricity, powered equipment and operated during emergencies at industrial, agricultural and other facilities. The proposed limits would