EPA Abruptly Backs Away From Proposals to Alter Air-Pollution Rules (Washington Post) The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday abandoned its push to revise two air-pollution rules in ways that environmentalists had long opposed, abruptly dropping measures that the Bush administration had spent years preparing. [News Source]

Snowfall helps clear air pollution (People’s Daily) Beijing's first snowfall this winter has helped reduce the pollution level. The air pollution index (API) dropped from a high of 247 on Tuesday to 162 yesterday, meteorological authorities said. A cold front is forecast for the capital in the coming week and will further reduce the API to about 100, barring a big change in emissions, Li Xin, chief engineer of the Beijing municipal environment ... [News Source]

White House backs down on easing air-pollution rules (McClatchy Newspapers via Yahoo! News) WASHINGTON — The Bush administration on Wednesday abandoned efforts to relax pollution controls on coal-fired power plants and industries it started with Vice President Dick Cheney's energy plan in 2001, bringing to a sudden end a long White House fight with environmental groups. [News Source]

Snowfall helps clear Beijing air pollution (China Daily) Beijing's first snowfall this winter has helped reduce the pollution level. The air pollution index (API) dropped from a high of 247 on Tuesday to 162 Wednesday, meteorological authorities said. [News Source]

EPA won’t loosen air-pollution standards for coal plants (McClatchy Newspapers via Yahoo! News) WASHINGTON — The Bush administration today abandoned two rule changes that would have weakened controls on pollution from coal-fired power plants and industry, but it finalized a third to allow for more polluted dust from mines, animal farms and other sources. [News Source]

EPA’s Efforts to Curb Air Pollution in Limbo (US News & World Report) A federal court ruling that struck down key regulations has stymied plans to reduce emissions. [News Source]

Politics choke clean-air efforts. Leading scientists have denounced US EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson for substituting politics for science on a number of key issues. But it was his decisions on air quality that had perhaps the most severe impacts on human health. [News Source]

Officials vow air near schools will be tested for toxics. The chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee pledged Tuesday to "do what I have to do" to ensure that the government monitors the air for toxic chemicals outside schools across the nation. [News Source]

Calls to restore funding of environment agencies. Watchdog groups are calling for President-elect Barack Obama's administration to fully fund federal agencies that relaxed monitoring of water, air quality and the safety of the food supply and consumer products in the past eight years. [News Source]

Gulf marine ecosystem ‘under threat.’ The Gulf marine environment is increasingly subjected to severe pressure from urban and industrial development, and particularly from oil exploitation, studies show. [News Source]

Thousands risk lung damage in smoke-filled restaurants. As many as 16,000 employees in 966 locations exempted from the smoking ban are at serious risk of lung and artery damage. [News Source]