/ Regional (China Daily) Beijing endured a dusty month in April. The only nine days of blue sky among the past 29 days showed the most serious air pollution in the past four years, said the municipal environmental protection bureau Saturday. [News Source]

Mercury plan cuts pollution (Duluth News Tribune) Minnesota would take its biggest step ever toward reducing toxic mercury air pollution under an agreement announced Thursday by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. [News Source]

PPG accused of air pollution violations (Akron Beacon Journal) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited PPG Industries for alleged clean-air violations at the company's plant in Barberton. [News Source]

Law adopted to ensure farm produce safety. China's legislature on Saturday voted for a law on farm produce quality safety, nailing down a series of measures to ensure farm produce safety. [News Source]

China bans waste discharges near croplands. China's legislature passed a law on Saturday barring sewage or chemical waste discharges into agricultural areas in an effort to improve the safety of produce, state media said. [News Source]

Boom in auto sales drives demand for fuel in China, India. The skyrocketing number of new vehicles means more air pollution, traffic jams and a big spike in oil consumption, and has authorities searching for cheaper and cleaner alternatives. [News Source]

State senate focuses on ethanol. The Colorado State Senate has approved a bill that will expand the state's development of renewable fuel sources, creating standards for the use of ethanol in gasoline. [News Source]

Congresswomen seek gas waiver. Two Virginia congresswomen want Gov. Tim Kaine to ask the Environmental Protection Agency to permit the temporary sale of gasoline without additives in three Virginia areas. [News Source]

Are aviation pollution claims a flight of fancy? A new airline industry report concludes that aviation is being unfairly blamed for CO2 emissions. Some criticize its analysis. [News Source]

Poultry farm waste goes unregulated. Unlike the hog industry, the growing poultry industry is virtually exempt from state regulation. [News Source]

Air pollutants linked to slow childhood mental development. Pollutants spewing from vehicles and power plants may be harmful to fetal brains, new evidence suggests. [News Source]