China pollution blamed for younger lung patients (Reuters via Yahoo! News) China's air pollution has caused a jump in chronic lung diseases usually associated with the elderly among people in their 30s, state media said on Thursday. [News Source]

Metro area chokes on off-road rigs’ fuel.

Two-thirds of the soot over Portland comes from diesel exhaust, which poses a health risk and could lead to cancer.

[News Source]

EPA details Pacific fines. The U.S. E.P.A. reports that the enforcement actions it brought in Guam, American Samoa and Saipan this year have made polluters spent more than $14.4 million to correct violations. [News Source]

EPA says enforcement numbers and penalties up, pollutants down Enforcement actions by the EPA in the Northwest and Alaska generated millions of dollars in penalties, cost industry millions for remediation and reduced pollution in the four-state region by 26.4 million pounds. [News Source]

Shut all coal-fired plants ASAP. Any delay shutting down Ontario's coal-burning power plants would hurt air quality and Waterloo Region, says Dr. Liana Nolan, the region's medical officer of health. [News Source]

McGuinty shifts blame for broken vow on coal. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is blaming unidentified advisers for his government's inability to keep its promises to close the province's coal-burning power plants. [News Source]

Dump closure cited as EPA success story. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 declared the closure of Saipan's Puerto Rico Dump as the highlight of its accomplishment report for 2006. [News Source]

Polluting cars pay more. Drivers whose vehicles fail a pollution test will face higher registration fees under new proposals aimed at reducing Sydney's smog. [News Source]

Hazy pollution report hinders $1bn pulp mill. A timber company's plans to build a $1.4 billion pulp mill in Tasmania yesterday struck an expensive hurdle, with an independent report finding it had failed to address adequately concerns about air and water pollution. [News Source]

Air pollution deaths ‘outnumber road toll’. Three times as many people die of air pollution in New South Wales than in traffic accidents, New South Wales Upper House Democrat Arthur Chesterfield-Evans said today. [News Source]

MPs go green - and taxpayer foots bill. Taxpayers will foot the bill for offsetting carbon emissions generated by MPs flying between their constituencies and Westminster under plans to make politicians appear more "green". [News Source]