Latest Air quality News
The air in 12 Texas counties exceeded federal soot standards. Only four may face consequences.
Twelve Texas counties have recently exceeded federal air quality standards for particulate matter, commonly known as soot. But Texas environmental regulators are proposing that only four of them be required to take action to improve their air quality. In its proposal to exclude eight...
In Los Angeles, people snap up air filters and wear masks against smoke pollution
LOS ANGELES (AP) — With levels of sooty air pollution far too high across swaths of the Los Angeles area, Dana Benton is sleeping with a mask on, even with her air purifier running. “My car was just covered in ash, and it’s just disgusting to think that we could be inhaling...
Monstrous wildfires blanket Southern California with smoky air, threatening the health of millions
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Massive wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area have filled the air with a thick cloud of smoke and ash, prompting air quality advisories across a vast stretch of Southern California. Three major fires broke out Tuesday amid dangerously high winds, killing at...
Environmental groups sue over California support for polluting biofuels
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Several environmental groups are suing California air regulators over their recent update of a contentious climate program, saying they failed to address the pollution impacts of biofuels. The lawsuits target the low-carbon fuel standard, which requires...
Bosnia's capital Sarajevo chokes on toxic air as a thick blanket of winter fog rolls over the city
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Flights were grounded and people were told to stay indoors as a thick blanket of smog Thursday engulfed Bosnia's capital of Sarajevo as residents tried to cope with toxic air. The Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, which assesses air...
Citizens against smog: Protesters in North Macedonia demand action against pollution
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Thousands of protesters across North Macedonia took part in demonstrations Tuesday to demand better air quality in cities that are among the most polluted in Europe. In the capital, Skopje, demonstrators gathered outside the Environment Ministry, some...
Iran to shut offices, colleges and schools in Tehran because of air pollution
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran announced Tuesday that all governmental offices, universities, and schools in the province of Tehran will be closed for two days because of poor air quality, state TV reported. The capital city of Tehran — home to over 10 million people — saw the...
Italy fuel depot blast kills 2 and injures more than a dozen. 3 others missing
MILAN (AP) — An explosion at a fuel depot in the central Italian region of Tuscany on Monday killed at least two people and injured 14 others, authorities said. The blast collapsed a building with offices, where three people were believed missing, regional environmental official...
EPA hails 'revitalized' enforcement efforts as Biden administration heads to exit
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency enhanced enforcement efforts this year, doubling financial penalties issued to polluters and issuing the first-ever arrest for a climate change-related crime, the agency said in a report Thursday. The EPA said it concluded more...
India's capital chokes as air pollution levels hit 50 times the safe limit
NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India’s capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season. Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city...
