All articles tagged with #industrial pollution
US authorities rejected Indonesian shoe shipments after discovering radioactive Cesium-137 contamination originating from steel industry waste, highlighting concerns over radioactive materials in imports and the need for stricter safety oversight.
The wealthy family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is seeking to reopen a coal-burning industrial plant in Birmingham, Alabama, despite mounting debts and proposed regulations. The plant, previously owned by the family's company, emitted cancer-causing chemicals that harmed historically Black neighborhoods. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new regulations requiring coke plants to install monitors to detect high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing air pollutant. The proposed changes aim to reduce pollution in Black communities. The Justice family's plans to reopen the plant are further complicated by millions of dollars in unpaid debts and penalties. The EPA will accept public comments on the proposed regulations until October 2, 2022.
The Biden administration has finalized a rule that requires factories and power plants in 23 Western and Midwestern states to reduce smog-causing pollution that affects Eastern states. The "good neighbor" rule directs industrial facilities to reduce their emissions of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that causes smog and is linked to asthma, lung disease, and premature death. The revised rule is expected to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide in the affected states by 50% from 2021 levels by 2027, preventing 1,300 premature deaths, avoiding more than 2,300 hospital and emergency room visits, preventing 1.3 million cases of asthma, and avoiding 430,000 lost school days and 25,000 missed work days.