Smoky air gets easier to breathe (USA Today)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee border has had some of the worst air pollution in the East. Air quality has improved in recent years, though the haze remains.

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Poisoned heroes. Today, increasing numbers of emergency service workers from Ground Zero are reporting breathing and digestive problems and rashes, and their incidence of cancer is higher than normal. [News Source]

Deal with utility to reduce pollution good news for state. The director of the Illinois EPA recently helped the state reach an agreement with an Illinois largest utility to reduce smog, soot and mercury pollution from its coal-fired power plants. [News Source]

Carlsbad seawater desalination project given permit. With no debate and little comment, San Diego County approved a project that could eventually turn millions of gallons a day of the Pacific Ocean into "drought-proof" drinking water. [News Source]

Landfill causing health concerns. The County Commission in Santa Rosa, FL, recently agreed to fund medical, air quality and groundwater testing for residents living in close proximity to the Coyote Landfill in Holley Navarre after hearing residents' testimony about pollution concerns. [News Source]

Keep indoor air clean. Household cleaning, cooking, and moisture can contribute to indoor air pollution. [News Source]

Wyoming wildfire threatens homes. More firefighters and equipment arrived Wednesday in attempts to fend off a wildfire threatening hundreds of houses near Casper. [News Source]

Report: parks at clean air crisis. As the 30th anniversary of the Clean Air Act nears, a National Parks Conservatory Association report says parks like Glacier and Yellowstone are at a critical point in their effort to keep air pollution from further scarring their pristine landscapes. [News Source]

City on verge of pollution violation. Columbia city in South Carolina will violate federal air pollution standards if the government cracks down on a pollutant widely known for its public health dangers. [News Source]

Smoky air gets easier to breathe. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeing a improvement in air pollution, with about half the high ozone days of the 1990s. [News Source]

OlyWest vows sweet air. The proposed OlyWest hog plant in Winnepeg, CA, won't smell, pollute or disrupt the lives of nearby residents and businesses, according to an environmental assessment financed by the hog consortium. [News Source]