skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Groups Corner EPA for Not Meeting Clean Air Deadline

play audio
Play

Thursday, January 20, 2011   

SEATTLE - When Washingtonians can't see Mount Rainier, Mount Adams or other scenic vistas, it could be because of air pollution, not clouds or fog. Federal plans to reduce this haze have been on hold, but legal action could change that.

A coalition of 10 conservation groups says it will sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its failure to meet its own Jan. 15 deadline to finalize states' plans to reduce air pollution in national parks and wilderness areas.

In Washington, haze - mostly the pollutant nitrogen oxide - has been a particular problem in Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, according to Sean Smith, northwest policy director of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

"That pollution not only affects the ability to see and enjoy the park, but also can have impacts on public health, wildlife and plants in the park. On a significant number of days, the visibility is significantly impaired."

Some of the same groups, including NPCA, the Sierra Club and Washington Wildlife Federation, are also suing the Interior and Agriculture departments for not responding to requests to assess the pollution-related damage in the parks with a formal certification that it is caused by emissions from coal plants.

Smith says filing formal notices of their intent to sue is a last resort, after years of waiting for federal action required by the Clean Air Act. Smith says every state has already been given years to come up with plans for reducing haze.

"Back in 2007, 11 states finished their plans - but the EPA failed to certify those. (For) the remaining states, the EPA set a deadline of Jan. 15, saying, 'You need to have your plans in by then, otherwise we will implement a national plan.' And they haven't done either of those things."

Eight areas of Washington are considered "Class 1" or mandatory areas for haze reduction. The state Department of Ecology finalized Washington's plan last month.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021