Air


Caltech/JPL Finds Models Underestimate Ozone Levels

Team says current models may underestimate ozone levels by between 5 and 10 percent; findings made by characterizing rates of key chemical reactions.

Company Offers Warranty-backed Option for Fix Chinese Drywall

National Construction Warranty Corporation says options could reduce the cost of restoring homes affected by corrosive drywall by 50 to 70 percent.

Flint Hills Resources refinery in Corpus Christi

Flint Hill Resources Exchanges 'Flexibility' for Federal CAA Permits

EPA worked with the company to transition four of its facilities from Texas Subchapter G flexible permits to state implementation plan-approved air permits.

Walkable neighborhoods

Part 3: Prefurbia Gives Preference to Walkable Neighborhoods

This is the third installment of a multi-part series on some of today's problems in land development and how innovative methods collectively known as "Prefurbia" can help overcome them.

Cascades Tissue Group

Tissue Manufacturer's Legacy Nothing to Sneeze At

With a genesis in recycling, it’s no surprise that Cascades Tissue Group is doing all it can to minimize its impact on the environment and perhaps help others in the process.

N.Y. Firm, Supervisors Found Guilty of Falsifying Asbestos Cleanup Reports

Certified Environmental Services, Nicole Copeland, Elisa Dunn and Sandy Allen conspired to aid and abet Clean Air Act violations related to falsifying lab results to prove that asbestos removal was done properly.

EPA Lays Out Five-Year Plan on Priorities

The plan includes benchmarks to track progress against such priorities as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting America's waters.

Doe Run Resources to Pay $7M Penalty, $65M for Compliance Upgrades

North America’s largest lead producer will shut down its Herculaneum lead smelter by Dec. 31, 2013 and provide an initial $8.14 million in financial assurance to guarantee cleanup work.



China's Air Quality is Improving

A collaborative, six-year study of carbon dioxide levels in Beijing and surrounding provinces suggests that combustion efficiency, a component of overall energy efficiency, is improving in the region.

DOT and EPA to Work with CARB for Tighter Tailpipe Standards

On the high end, cars will be expected to achieve 60 miles per gallon by the year 2025.

U.S. Sues Coltec and NASSCO for Uncertified Marine Engines

This is the first federal court action brought by the government under the marine diesel engine rules.

Mercury Emissions Cuts Proposed for Sewage Sludge Incinerators

The proposed rules apply to both multiple hearth and fluidized bed incinerators.

5 Companies Win Inaugural Environmental Protection Product Awards

Our judges chose OMI Industries, Excal Visual, KriStar, Calgon Carbon, and Hach as companies having this year's most helpful products among those entered in the first Environmental Protection New Product of the Year awards.

BP Products Paying $15 M Penalty for Texas Refinery

EPA and the Justice Department announced the penalty and posted the consent decree that has been filed in a Houston federal court. It is a record civil penalty for Clean Air Act violations at an single facility.

Lightning may provide a new source of energy in the future

Science May be Able to Harness Nature's Electric Energy

New evidence from Brazil suggests water in the atmosphere picks up electrical charges, which could be collected much like the sun's energy.

Murphy Oil Settles CAA Violations at Louisiana, Wisconsin Refineries

The company will pay a $1.25 million civil penalty, upgrade pollution control technologies, and install covers on two wastewater tanks as a supplemental environmental project.

Pollution Can Increase the Risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest

The fine particles of pollution that hang in the air can increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest, according to a new study conducted by a team from Long Island Jewish Medical Center and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Growing in Number

Nearly 1 million charging stations are expected to be installed across the United States; activity is already starting with collaborations and investment across the country.

International Project Hopes to Build a Better Cookstove

EPA is contributing $6 million to the International Project for Clean Cookstoves in order to help prevent exposure to indoor smoke from cooking fires.

an image of a dandelion with a blue sky in the background.

Smartphones that Monitor Air Quality

University of Southern California computer scientists have found a way to combine smartphone resources with a novel application that allows the phones' users to help monitor air quality.