Air


Scientists Analyzing Smoke of Western Wildfires

The project brings together scientists from five universities and the NSF-funded National Center for Atmospheric Research. "This is a challenging field campaign," said atmospheric scientist Emily Fischer of Colorado State University. "It's not like measuring the plume from, say, a power plant."

ATSDR Publishes Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls

People can be exposed to PFAs in the air; in indoor dust, food, and water; and in some home products. The main sources of exposure to PFAs, such as PFOA and PFOS, are usually from eating food and drinking water that has these chemicals.

Casella Devices Monitoring Shanghai's Air

"Clean Air Day awareness initiatives like those in the U.K. and Canada this June act as a fantastic platform that highlights the real threat of air pollution. We hope that as local awareness increases, such a campaign can soon be run in China," said Sean Gao, Business Unit manager at Casella.

Anguil Environmental Systems to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

Anguil Environmental Systems will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on Aug. 12, 2018, with a party in downtown Milwaukee.

Volkswagen Accepts $1.2 Billion Penalty in Diesel Scandal

Volkswagen AG accepted the fine and, by doing so, admitted its responsibility.

California Investing in Cleaner School Buses

In all, California Climate Investments will fund about 150 cleaner school buses across the state, including zero-emission battery electric models and conventional models using renewable diesel. The year-old Rural School Bus Pilot Project has received $25 million in cap-and-trade funding to fund as many as 60 of those new school buses statewide in rural areas.

Nominations Sought for 2018 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

Nominations for innovations in six categories are due by July 2, 2018. The categories are academic, small business, greener synthetic pathways, greener reaction conditions, designing greener chemicals, and climate change.

California to Help Farmers Buy Cleaner Heavy Equipment

"Although tough new engine standards are in effect now and will eventually lower emissions, most agricultural equipment lasts for decades. We cannot wait for the older dirtier equipment to phase out naturally, so we are taking action to improve air quality sooner by helping farmers to buy cleaner farm equipment now," CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey said.



EPA Scrapping GHG Emissions Rules for Cars, Light Trucks

He said EPA is beginning a joint process with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a notice and comment rulemaking to set more appropriate GHG emissions standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The California Air Resources Board's chair, Mary D. Nichols, issued a statement condemning Pruitt's decision.

Fumigation Air Quality Permit Request Dropped in NC

The division had planned to hold a new public comment period and public hearing to enable additional input for the draft air quality permit. DEP reported that most of 1,100 comments received since Feb. 23 were opposed to issuing the permit.

The researchers successfully tested the method at a Colorado well field containing place methane leak sources. (Stephanie Sizemore and Ian Coddington/NIST illustration)

New Method Shown for Detecting Methane Leaks Inexpensively

As described in their paper, the researchers tested this method successfully on a Colorado well field containing placed methane leak sources.

CARB Awards Grant for Ultra-Low NOx Truck Demonstration Project

California's ultra-low NOx emissions standard is 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour. This program will demonstrate the first diesel engine to comply with this state standard.

Minnesota Ceiling Tile Plant Penalized for Air Quality Permit Violations

USG Interiors self-reported that between July 2014 and October 2016, it violated its air quality permits for emissions exceedances or missed equipment testing 32 times.

San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan Meeting Set for March 29

Up to four CAAP stakeholder advisory meetings per year were called for as part of the Clean Air Action Plan Update approved by the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports' boards of harbor commissioners on Nov. 2, 2017; this will be the first advisory meeting.

EPA to Roll Back Clean Air and Water Protections

Environmental advocates are concerned that these rollbacks would lead to dirtier air and water and reduce or remove consequences for large-scale polluters.

Waxman, Schwarzenegger, McCarthy Receive CARB Air Quality Awards

"Our honorees span the past 50 years of progress toward clean air. Each played a leading role in this struggle for clean air and a healthy economy," CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols said. "Individually, our honorees have conducted groundbreaking research or shaped pioneering clean-air policies.

EPA Awards Houston Airport Over $1 Million for Clean Shuttle Buses

The EPA has awarded more than $1 million to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, for electric shuttle buses. The funds will go toward reducing diesel vehicles’ harmful emissions and improving air quality.

TCEQ Fines Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc.

The fine was included in $1,083,788 in fines against 46 regulated entities for violating state environmental regulations.

Dow Signs MOU to Work on Environmental Protection in China

"We are pleased to be sharing our environmental technical expertise with the Chinese government to help accelerate positive change. We appreciate this opportunity to learn together how to best develop public policy blueprints that incorporate global private sector experience," said Neil Hawkins, corporate vice president, Environment, Health and Safety, and chief sustainability officer for Dow.

Ohio EPA Offers Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversion Grants

A new grant from Ohio EPA will reimburse owners of large diesel or gasoline vehicles for a portion of the cost of the conversion or replacement of engines to use compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or liquid petroleum gas such as propane or butane, including bi-fueled or dual-fueled vehicles that can run on both an alternative fuel and on gasoline or diesel fuel.