As the river flows through Baja California, it takes in untreated sewage and industrial waste from Tijuana, then crosses the U.S.-Mexico border into San Diego County, where beaches are regularly closed because the surf is filled with bacteria from the river. Researchers have now gained new insights into how that water pollution is creating air pollution that besets nearby communities.
Researchers at the California-based non-profit science institute PSE Healthy Energy created a first-of-its-kind interactive map using data from more than 1,300 major methane leaks across the country to model the spread of dangerous air pollutants released during each event. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. When it leaks from oil and gas infrastructure due to equipment failure, malfunctions, or ruptures, the plume acts as a carrier for a wide array of hazardous co-pollutants,
'Those VOCs coming out of our system are about the equivalent to one passenger car driving down the road,' he said. Bauer also said the chance for an explosion at the facility is extremely low. 'At any one time, we have very little gases in our system,' he said. 'It would be equivalent to camping stove propane. That's your potential of ignition.'
Air pollution from oil and gas activities is responsible for an estimated 91,000 deaths and over 10,000 preterm births in the US each year, according to a new study that examined the impacts of the industry through its lifecycle from extraction to refining to burning fuel in power plants. The study, published August 22 in the journal Science Advances, also attributes an estimated 216,000 annual incidences of US childhood asthma to air pollutants from fossil fuels, as well as over 1,600 lifetime cancers.
Steelworkers and community activists say the Trump administration has put their health at risk by delaying and potentially scrapping pollution monitoring rules meant to protect nearby neighborhoods from dangerous toxins released into the air by the nation's steel and coke plants.
Pollution from the expanding shoreline of the Salton Sea may not be a significant contributor to the region's air problems. Researchers suggest focusing on internal air quality is crucial.
The appeals court ruling, authored by Judge James Richman, declares none of the arguments lodged by the city against allowing Tagami more time at the proposed terminal site have merit.
Recent studies show that brake dust accounts for up to 20% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution at roadsides, especially during rush hours.
For instance, if all the 35 turbines operated by xAI were using add-on air pollution control technology to achieve a NOx emission rate of 2 ppm-as xAI's consultant agreed it would-they would emit about 177 tons of NOx per year, as opposed to the 1,200 to 2,100 tons per year they currently emit, the letter said.
The PSPO would allow enforcement officers to issue fixed penalty notices after two minutes of observation, improving enforcement against idling vehicle emissions.
Environmental advocates warn that the expansion of two compressor stations along Transco's pipeline in North Carolina will lead to significant increases in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.