The Problem With EPA's "Healthy Air" Designation For Ozone Pollution

Along with summertime heat and long hours of intense sunshine comes higher levels of ozone pollution. This is the "bad ozone" in the air we breathe, not the "good ozone" in the upper atmosphere that provides protection from ultraviolet rays. An extensive body of scientific information has documented health problems related to ozone pollution, including premature death, hospital admissions for heart and respiratory problems, more frequent asthma attacks, and emergency room visits for respiratory problems.

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Supreme Court Confirms EPA Ability to Regulate Greenhouse Gases

On June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision upholding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to require large industrial sources to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The 7-2 decision represents a major victory for EPA’s efforts to combat climate change.

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Massive Fracking on Federal Lands Overwhelms Critical Inspections

Forty percent of the highest-risk oil and gas wells drilled on federal lands over the past several years have gone uninspected by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), according to a recent Associated Press (AP) analysis. The massive boom in oil and gas drilling on federal and tribal lands, primarily using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques, has resulted in a one-third increase in oil and gas wells since 2007, with a total of more than 100,000 wells.

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2014 OMB Report Shows Substantial Public Protection Benefits Achieved at Low Cost

With little fanfare late last month, the Office of Management and Budget released its 2014 draft annual report to Congress on the costs and benefits of regulations. The report, required under the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act, summarizes the benefits and costs of major federal rules – those anticipated to have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more and subject to review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at OMB – for the 2013 fiscal year, as well as for the previous decade. The report finds that once again, the nation achieved significant health, safety, environmental, and other benefits at a relatively low cost.

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EPA Proposes New Air Pollution Standards for Oil Refineries

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new proposals on May 15 to limit air pollution from petroleum refineries, a major source of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and benzene that cause respiratory problems and other serious health issues, including cancer. The proposed standards are intended to reduce the levels of toxic air pollution for fenceline communities (those living in close proximity to refineries) who suffer the highest air pollution exposures and related health risks. Minority and low-income populations are disproportionately represented in these fenceline communities.

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Court Rejects Industry's Legal Attack on EPA Soot Standard

In a victory for public health, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today rejected an industry challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2012 decision to strengthen the national air quality standard for particulate matter (PM), also known as soot.

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Federal Methane Control Strategy Essential for Addressing Climate Change Threat

The White House today unveiled a federal interagency strategy to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas production, coal mines, agriculture and landfills.

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EPA’s Farmworker Protection Standard Proposal -- An (Insufficient) Step Forward

On March 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its proposal to revise the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS), which was first announced by the agency on Feb. 20.

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New Auto and Truck Pollution Standards Will Save Lives and Prevent Illness

On March 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new emission and fuel standards that will result in significant air quality improvements through reductions in car and truck emissions. The standards target the pollutants that contribute to ground-level ozone pollution (non-methane hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides), particle pollution (particulate matter), carbon monoxide, and toxic air pollutants.

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Proposed House Chemical "Reform" Legislation: A Step Backward for Health and Safety

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) released a draft bill entitled the Chemicals in Commerce Act (CICA) on Thursday, Feb. 27 that provides no significant improvements in protecting public health and the environment from toxic chemicals. Many of the provisions in the draft bill maintain the already deficient approaches to health protections now included under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), our nation's outdated and ineffective chemical safety law.

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