Its green medal hopes are lost but Beijing must race on. Failure to meet the Olympic cleanup pledge will embarrass China. If it stays ambitious, however, it can earn real respect [News Source]

Olympic pollution games. Ever since Beijing was named in 2001 to host the 2008 Summer Games, Chinese officials have been promising a "blue-sky" Olympics. Now, a week before the Games begin, pollution is threatening to rival sports as the biggest story out of Beijing. [News Source]

NSW clubs record worst financial result ever due to smoking ban. The indoor smoking ban that came into effect on July 2 last year has been blamed for a $385 million fall in income by NSW clubs, their worst result ever. [News Source]

Congress to address L.A. and L.B. port needs. Congresswoman Laura Richardson and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher are hosting a public hearing Monday in Long Beach to address the infrastructure, traffic congestion and air quality problems tied to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. [News Source]

Court decision may stall proposed power plant. A recent Los Angeles Superior Court decision may stall more than a dozen energy projects, including a proposed power plant near Desert Hot Springs, aimed at preventing blackouts and brownouts in Southern California. [News Source]

Having a bad air day? Manage that pesky pollution. If it seems like every other day comes with an air quality warning from state monitors, you're right. But here's the twist: Much of Utah's air is actually improving. [News Source]

‘Crypto’ parasite suspected in death of 6-year-old girl. The Dallas County medical examiner's office is investigating whether the death of a 6-year-old girl is related to the parasitic infection cryptosporidiosis. [News Source]

Ozone exceedance leads to bigger violation. Tulsa's exceedance of the ozone standard on Thursday pushed the area into a violation of the latest EPA air-quality standards. [News Source]

Asphalt plant case heads to state. A group of residents north of Conway who are concerned that an asphalt plant planned for their neighborhood poses health risks is now challenging the facility in state court. [News Source]

State acts to clean up ash and sludge site. Delaware regulators ordered new controls and cleanup plans today for a troubled ash and sludge recycling operation near Wilmington’s regional wastewater treatment plant off East 12th Street, the result of a decade of permit violations. Advertisement [News Source]

Ill residents fear pollution is cause. DuPont Avenue residents who are falling ill believe nearby industrial plants are the cause. [News Source]