Smoke alert issed for Central, E. Oregon. Increasing air pollution from wildfire smoke, especially at Crater Lake National Park, prompted the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Wednesday to issue an "air quality smoke advisory" for all of Eastern and Central Oregon. [News Source]

Maricopa fails air-quality test. Maricopa County, Arizona is expected to implement tough new policies to control fine particulates like dust after failing to improve air quality to meet federal standards. [News Source]

Area power plants on hot seat this summer. On Friday, environmental groups and the federal Department of Justice will square off against Alcoa, a Pittsburgh company that runs an enormous aluminum smelting operation in Rockdale, in a federal district court in Austin over whether it may put off pollution controls at its facility. [News Source]

TXU’s Oak Grove plant hits stump in permitting process. Environmentalists battling Texas coal-fired power plants claimed a rare victory Wednesday when administrative law judges in Austin recommended denying TXU’s air permit for the Oak Grove lignite plant in Robertson County. [News Source]

Panel recommends TCEQ deny TXU permit. Administrative state law judges for a contested case hearing have recommended denial of an air quality permit for Dallas-based TXU Corp.'s huge Oak Grove coal-fired power plant. [News Source]

Panel calls for rejection of TXU plant near Waco. A state hearing panel dealt a major blow to TXU Corp.'s plans to build 11 new power plants, recommending Wednesday that environmental regulators reject the energy company's plans. [News Source]

Judges reject TXU plant. Plans for a huge increase in Texas' use of coal to meet rising power demands suffered a major setback Wednesday when two state administrative law judges sided with environmentalists against a permit for a new TXU plant near Waco. [News Source]

Pollution violations will cost Valero $700,000. A Houston refinery is expected to cough up $700,000 in fines for air pollution violations, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced Wednesday. [News Source]

Right to burn leaves vs. right to breathe. North Barrington will ask residents: Is it time to change leaf burning laws? [News Source]

Air quality alert called for Thursday. With ozone levels increasing this week, Kentucky and Indiana officials have called an air-quality alert for Thursday. [News Source]

Air-quality alert in effect today as ozone levels rise. With ozone levels increasing this week, Kentucky and Indiana officials have called an air-quality alert for today. [News Source]