The Environmental Protection Agency is clamping down on methane emissions, and environmental groups say West Virginians' health will benefit.

Methane is the single largest greenhouse gas source in the United States, now generating more pollutants than the nation's shrinking coal industry. The regulations address natural gas processing and transportation, where the vast bulk of methane is released into communities.

Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, said the state has an especially high concentration of oil and gas wells, with more than half of residents living within a mile of a facility.

"These efforts to reduce methane will mean better air quality in our communities," Rosser contended. "Which means better health for our residents and also good news for reducing and slowing climate change."

Rosser added the new rules come at a time when the state faces increased risk of severe flooding. She noted communities near wells are at greatest risk of potentially costly and dangerous explosions and health effects of leaking methane. In a statement, the American Petroleum Institute said "to be truly effective, this rule must balance emissions reductions with the need to continue meeting rising energy demand."

Rosser added new technologies and third-party regulators tied to stricter methane regulation could expand West Virginia's job market.

"This rule also provides the potential to create new jobs in the state, that are needed," Rosser emphasized. "We're looking at how we can leverage this rule to create a whole new class of jobs that deal with methane mitigation."

According to the BlueGreen Alliance, made up of labor unions and environmental groups, more than 10,000 jobs could be created annually nationwide over the next decade with stronger efforts to curb methane emissions.


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New research suggests humans aren't the only ones experiencing negative effects from wildfire smoke.

Researchers are studying Ponderosa pines, which inhabit much of the western United States, and they're finding that smoke may be affecting trees and many more kinds of plants - including food crops.

Research co-author Delphine Farmer, a chemistry professor at Colorado State University, said they don't yet know the full extent of the effects of wildfire smoke on plant life, but they do know it can impact the economy in some surprising ways.

"Oregon has some amazing wine, and in the wine that's grown there, there are a lot of concerns about smoke taint," she said. "And that's when the gases and particles of smoke actually get into the grapes and impact the taste and flavor of the wine."

She said they've found that smoke can cause plants to close their pores and even pause photosynthesis. This may mean shorter and slower growing periods, with unpredictable consequences for crop growth and output. Farmer added that the best solution is to work to manage the effects of climate change.

While forest fires have been part of a healthy forest's life cycle for centuries, the rate and intensity of recent fires has ramped up. As Oregon faces yearly major wildfire seasons, Farmer said it's important to find ways to mitigate the smoke exposure.

"As we move to stronger effects of climate change, and global change induced by human activity, we know we are going to be seeing more of these wildfire events," she said. "And so, the best way to reduce smoke exposure - whether it's to humans or to plants - is really to reduce the number of wildfire events."

She added that human behavior led to this increase in wildfire smoke - and emphasized the smoke will, in turn, affect human behavior. She recommended that people advocate for better firefighting techniques for at-risk areas and promote better climate policies.


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Under the federal Clean Air Act, Kentucky is required to keep haze air pollution under control in Mammoth Cave National Park.

Critics said the state's current plan falls short. Coal-fired power plants are the driving cause of air pollution impairing visibility in the Commonwealth, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Ashley Wilmes, executive director of the Kentucky Resources Council, said the state's current Draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan only considers two facilities as significant pollution emitters, despite evidence there are more.

"There has to be a detailed analysis of additional major polluters in Kentucky that are contributing to this haze," Wilmes asserted. "They did not do this analysis for other major coal plants, including Ghent and Mill Creek, Trimble Station and others."

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet hears virtual public comments on the plan tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET.

Ulla Reeves, clean air program director for the National Parks Conservation Association, said several major polluters in the region are contributing to poor air quality.

"We see in Kentucky that Mammoth Cave is actually one of the most polluted national parks in the entire country," Reeves pointed out. "It is surrounded by polluting facilities."

Bryon Gary, program attorney for the council, said advocates are asking the state to include additional pollutants and facilities, and address environmental justice impacts to surrounding communities. He added residents' input will be considered by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The public will have the opportunity to give those comments," Gary noted. "Then at some later point, the Energy Environment Cabinet will develop a written response to comments that will be submitted to EPA, along with their final state implementation plan."

Exposure to the air pollution particles triggering haze can cause breathing problems, lung cancer, heart attacks and low birth weight in newborn babies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California air-quality regulators today are expected to adopt new fees for big polluters and rules to encourage large buildings to switch equipment from gas to zero-emission electric models.

Fifteen clean-air advocacy groups are rallying in front of the Southern California Air Quality Management Board in Diamond Bar today, urging passage of the new rules.

Kimberly Orbe, senior conservation program manager for the Sierra Club's Angeles chapter, said the transition would cover gas-fired water heaters, boilers and process heaters.

"Fossil fuel appliances are responsible for 10% of the emissions from stationary sources in our region," she said, "so that's really huge."

Opponents of the change include SoCalGas and industry groups representing dry cleaners and restauranteurs.

When burned, natural gas emits harmful smog-forming air pollution and greenhouse gases that fuel climate change. The So Cal Air Quality Management District's new pollution fee program would require large industrial polluters to pay to support regional clean-air efforts. The Sierra Club estimates this could raise about $25 million a year.

According to the American Lung Association, the Los Angeles/Long Beach area has the most high-ozone days of any metropolitan area in the country. Orbe said that's why advocacy groups have been pressing for stronger air-quality standards for years.

"Our region is burdened by an overwhelming amount of pollution - from oil drilling, from refineries, from the ports, from the warehouses, freeways," she said. "So, we want to make sure that we're passing strong rules to ensure that we continue to clean up our air, year after year."

The board is also expected to set a hearing date to consider new rules requiring zero-emissions technologies in the rail yards to combat diesel pollution from trains.