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Climate, Air Quality, and Weather Stories April 2, 2002 Critical Clean Air Ruling The fundamental authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish new air quality standards based on sound science has been upheld after a five year legal battle that wound up in the U.S. Supreme Court and ended last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Three judges ruled unanimously that the EPA was correct in 1987 in setting tough new standards for ozone and particle emissions under the Clean Air Act ö a move that was challenged by the trucking industry and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. You can read about the court decision in a story by the Washington Post, an editorial by The New York Times and a news release by the EPA. New England Companies honored for energy efficiency Four New England companies are among 36 businesses nationwide honored with past week for their energy saving efforts. Read more about the contest and the winners in this EPA news release. Maine town to spray for browntail moths According to the Portland Press Herald, the Brunswick town council voted to spray a pesticide over a part of town to kill browntail moth caterpillars, whose toxic hairs can cause rashes or respiratory problems. The 8-1 vote came over the objections of one council member who was concerned about the potential effects of the spraying on people and the environment. The full story is available on the Press Herald Web site. California's Central Valley smoggier than ever California's famous Central Valley has long been known for its farmland and its orchards - spreading as far as the eye can see. But Living on Earth's Tamara Keith reports that the valley may soon become famous for its pollution. The pollution from millions of automobile tailpipes mixed with pollution from refineries and farms is raising a brown pall over the valley and creating health problems for its residents. Read or hear more about it in this report on the Living on Earth Web site. Fluorinated organic compounds in spotlight Researchers know that fluorinated organic compounds (FOCs) travel all around the globe. According to a report in Environmental Science & Technology Magazine, the compounds are "environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative, and potentially harmful." But much remains to be learned about them and methods are needed for monitoring the compounds in air samples. Northern China endures worst dust storms in decade NASA's Earth Observatory News reports that parts of northern China have been hit by heavy dust storms - some of the worst in a decade. Satellite images comparing the recent storms to clearer conditions are available on the Web site for comparison. |
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