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Air Quality

All articles tagged with #air quality

New York City's $9 Congestion Toll Falls Short on Air Quality Gains
us-news8 days ago

New York City's $9 Congestion Toll Falls Short on Air Quality Gains

NYC’s year-old $9 congestion toll in Manhattan reduced vehicle traffic by about 11% but did not produce a statistically significant improvement in overall air quality, because cars contribute only around 10% of the city’s emissions and other sources (heating, power plants, restaurants) dominate. Officials tout reduced congestion, quieter streets, and transit funding as benefits, while critics say the toll is an expensive burden with limited environmental payoff.

via New York Post|
#air-quality#congestion-pricing#nyc
NYC Congestion Pricing Shows Minimal Impact on Air Quality, Health Dept. Reports
local8 days ago

NYC Congestion Pricing Shows Minimal Impact on Air Quality, Health Dept. Reports

New York City's Health Department reports that congestion pricing, which began in January 2025, has had limited to no impact on air quality citywide or within the tolling zone, with pollution levels stable or slightly improved and no evidence of increased pollution from drivers avoiding tolls. The findings differ from a Columbia University study linking higher pollution in the South Bronx and contrast with a Cornell study showing cleaner air in Lower Manhattan after tolls began. City leaders say the program reduces traffic, funds transit improvements, and has committed about $70 million to pollution-mitigation efforts in the Bronx, including $20 million for cleaner refrigerated trailers at Hunts Point and $20 million for childhood asthma programs.

via Gothamist|
#air-quality#congestion-pricing#local
Lung Cancer Risk Isn’t Just Smoking: Hidden Hazards at Home, Work, and Air
health14 days ago

Lung Cancer Risk Isn’t Just Smoking: Hidden Hazards at Home, Work, and Air

A TOI Health piece explains that while smoking is the main preventable lung-cancer risk, other factors—indoor radon, air pollution, secondhand smoke, and workplace exposures—also raise risk. Quitting tobacco remains the strongest prevention, with risk decreasing over time; vaping is not risk-free, and switching to other forms of tobacco doesn’t eliminate danger. Prevention includes testing for radon, improving home ventilation, and reducing exposure at work, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For some high-risk adults, annual low-dose CT screening may help detect cancer earlier, but screening should be personalized by a clinician and follow country-specific guidelines.

via The Times of India|
#air-quality#health#lung-cancer
Little Giant Fire Pushes Toward Washington Towns as Smoke Chokes Cascades
environment18 days ago

Little Giant Fire Pushes Toward Washington Towns as Smoke Chokes Cascades

The Little Giant Fire near Plain, Washington has grown into the state’s third-largest blaze, threatening about 1,800 buildings as roughly 1,700 firefighters fight extreme-dry conditions and erratic fire behavior. Thick smoke has driven hazardous air quality downwind across communities like Cashmere and Leavenworth. A Lake Chelan crossing intended as a natural firebreak failed when embers jumped to the far shore. Officials warn of dangerous margins and pyrocumulus growth, while scientists point to climate-driven drought and long-term fuel buildup as key contributors. No buildings have been confirmed burned yet, but a family cabin in the Entiat River Valley is among the structures at risk, and costs to fight the fire have already run high.

via KUOW|
#air-quality#environment#firefighting
Spokane Fire Complex Holds Ground as Evacuations Continue and Containment Edges Up
us-news20 days ago

Spokane Fire Complex Holds Ground as Evacuations Continue and Containment Edges Up

Three major wildfires around Spokane have burned over 10,500 acres since Aug. 1, destroyed hundreds of structures, and forced more than 60,000 evacuations. Firefighters from across Washington, backed by about 1,400 personnel and National Guard, are pushing containment: Autumn Lane ~13% contained, Old Trails ~13%, and Fairview ~5%. An arrest has been made in connection with the Old Trails fire (Aaron Farinacci) on first‑degree arson charges, with investigations ongoing for Autumn Lane and Fairview. Air quality has deteriorated to unhealthy levels for sensitive groups in much of the region.

via usatoday.com|
#air-quality#arrestarson#containment-progress
Portland's smoke-choked air ranks among the world's worst amid Western wildfires
environment20 days ago

Portland's smoke-choked air ranks among the world's worst amid Western wildfires

Smoke from Western wildfires blanketed the Pacific Northwest, pushing Portland’s air quality into unhealthy ranges and briefly near the top of global rankings. AQI readings around 160 in Portland and higher nearby prompted health advisories, expanded shelter capacity, and calls to limit outdoor activity as winds shift and conditions gradually improve.

via Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB|
#air-quality#aqi#environment
Gann Fire Expands to 7,000+ Acres, Prompting Evacuations and School Closures in Calaveras County
local21 days ago

Gann Fire Expands to 7,000+ Acres, Prompting Evacuations and School Closures in Calaveras County

The Gann Fire near Hogan Dam in Calaveras County has grown to 7,052 acres with about 10% containment, triggering evacuations for multiple zones, closures of Calaveras Unified School District sites, and air-quality concerns as roughly 1,500 personnel—including Firehawk helicopters—fight the blaze; emergency shelters for people and animals opened and a local state of emergency was declared.

via KCRA|
#air-quality#calaveras-county#evacuations
Arson suspect linked to Spokane wildfires; man previously convicted of manslaughter in Arizona
us-news22 days ago

Arson suspect linked to Spokane wildfires; man previously convicted of manslaughter in Arizona

Investigators say Aaron Farinacci, spotted near the Spokane fire scene, is connected to the area’s wildfires and has been charged with arson; Farinacci previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Arizona for killing his father in 2010 and was released from prison in 2020. The Spokane Fire Complex—comprising three main blazes—has burned about 10,280 acres with 0% containment, prompting mass evacuations and hazardous air quality. Drones have disrupted firefighting efforts, and authorities caution residents while ballots continue for Washington’s Primary Day with replacement ballots available for evacuees. The wider West remains on high alert as wildfires burn across multiple states.

via usatoday.com|
#aaron-farinacci#air-quality#arson
West braced for smoky days as wildfires push unhealthy air across the region
weather23 days ago

West braced for smoky days as wildfires push unhealthy air across the region

Forecasts warn that smoke from about 50 large, uncontained wildfires in the Pacific Northwest will degrade air quality across the West this week. Winds shifting westward will funnel smoke into cities like Portland, Seattle, Boise and Salt Lake City, with unhealthy air levels expected through midweek after Spokane-area fires highlighted the region’s drought-driven fire danger.

via The Washington Post|
#air-quality#climate#droughts
Spokane wildfires push evacuation numbers to 65,000 as containment stays zero
local23 days ago

Spokane wildfires push evacuation numbers to 65,000 as containment stays zero

Three major Spokane County wildfires—Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane—have burned more than 7,000 acres and remain at 0% containment, destroying hundreds of structures and forcing about 65,000 families to evacuate. Officials warn the fires will take weeks to control as air quality deteriorates; thousands of responders, including National Guard members, are on scene, with welfare checks and missing-person follow-ups ongoing.

via CNN|
#air-quality#containment#evacuations
East L.A. Family Camps by Beach Amid Rotting-Food Odor from Lineage Fire
local-california24 days ago

East L.A. Family Camps by Beach Amid Rotting-Food Odor from Lineage Fire

After a massive Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, a mother of four says she and her family are camping near Dockweiler Beach to escape the smell of rotting, thawed food; LA County reports hundreds offered temporary housing while 211 and Airbnb aid efforts continue, though her East L.A. home sits just outside current voucher eligibility. Lineage says it has removed more than 85 million pounds of rotting waste and is conducting door-to-door outreach with air purifiers, masks, water, and grocery vouchers for about 800 nearby homes, and officials are reviewing expanding aid as a rebuild is pursued.

via ABC7 Los Angeles|
#air-quality#displacement#housing-assistance