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Ask a Scientist: UCS Transportation Program Adds Equitable Mobility to its Portfolio

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 1963, a typical car—which ran on leaded gasoline without pollution control devices— emitted 520 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,700 pounds of carbon monoxide, and 90 pounds of nitrogen oxide every 10,000 miles traveled. Even so, cars and trucks are still making us sick—and killing us.

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State Air Regulations Can Go Above and Beyond National Standards 

Legal Planet

States and local air quality regulators have the legal authority to set particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions standards and adopt regulations for these pollutants when they are already in attainment of the national ambient air quality standards ( NAAQS ) set by the U.S.

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The Supreme Court’s Latest Decision Is a Blow to Stopping Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

is a serious blow to the EPA’s ability to fight climate change—and could have dangerous repercussions beyond this case. The timing of the decision feels especially harsh, as the nation is in the throes of the “ Danger Season ” for hazards such as heat waves, drought, wildfires and hurricanes, all worsened by climate change.

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Biden’s Proposed Power Plant Rule is a Solid First Step

Legal Planet

Still, the fact that this draft rule follows the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) has enabled the EPA to be relatively stringent. The Clean Air Act requires that the EPA’s emission limits be based on the best system of emission reduction adequately demonstrated and accounting for cost , among other things.

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Air District Targets Southern California Logistics Industry

Clean Energy Law

One of the most significant air quality challenges in the Basin is reducing emissions of the ozone precursor nitrogen oxides (NO x ) to meet the ozone standard attainment deadlines. According to the 2016 AQMP, mobile sources contributed about 88% of total NO x emissions in the Basin in 2012.

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Ask a Scientist: Fighting Big Ag Pollution with Maps and Math

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Cuyahoga fire, along with a major oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara that same year, galvanized national attention and led to the first Earth Day, a slew of new air and water protection laws, and the creation of new federal departments to administer them, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Reading the Tea Leaves: Biden’s and California’s Vehicle Regs at the D.C. Circuit

Legal Planet

The transportation sector is also a substantial source of nitrogen oxides and particulates, both of which are dangerous to human health. EPA is an effort by conservative states and fuel suppliers to block EPA regulations of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act. Q: Hi, Sean.