Blog Archive
Tell AG Luther Strange to Stop Wasting Taxpayer Money Opposing MATS
On April 15, 2016, EPA issued its long awaited final cost consideration for the embattled Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (or MATS) rule. As I mentioned last summer, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the EPA must consider costs before deciding a...
Why The EPA’s First-Ever Methane Regulations Are A Big Deal
Today the EPA released the final (and first-ever) rule for the oil and gas sector for new, reconstructed and modified sources. Gasp commented on the draft rule and we discussed last summer the EPA was taking a crucial step in addressing climate change. Methane (CH4)...
This is Why I Gasp
by Will King, Gasp Summer Research Fellow As we head outdoors to enjoy the sunny days and vibrant colors of spring, the quality of the air we breathe may be the last thing on our minds. May is Clean Air Month, a time devoted to bringing increased awareness to...
Mothers Deserve Clean Air: It’s Science
A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that even slight exposure to particulate air pollution may increase the risk of intrauterine inflammation (IUI)....
Alabama Gets an ‘F’ for ‘Weak,’ ‘Destructive’ Solar Policies
The Center for Biological Diversity gives the state of Alabama an “F” in its new report, “Throwing Shade: 10 Sunny States Blocking Distributed Solar Development.” It calls out 10 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas,...
State of the Air Report Shows Citizen Advocacy and Common-Sense Policies Work
The American Lung Association released its annual “State of the Air” report today and it showed that Birmingham has made significant improvements in air quality over recent years. The Birmingham metro area ranked 53rd most polluted for ozone, 22nd most polluted for...
Report: More than Half of Americans Live with Unhealthy Air Pollution Levels
The American Lung Association today released the annual State of the Air report, finding that 52.1 percent of Americans live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution, the two most widespread pollutants in the United States....
Alabama Still Threatened by Dirty Energy
Almost exactly 17 years ago today, I wrote an essay entitled “Fitzgerald’s Fools: Corruption in The Great Gatsby.” The thesis of that paper was that naivete, greed, and fragile masculinity are the toxic cocktail that destroys the American Dream. Daisy Buchanan’s...
What’s In The Air We Breathe? Understanding Air Toxics & Risk
Birmingham’s air quality has improved since the days when thick orange-brown clouds enveloped the city, but our air is still far from healthy. In the American Lung Association’s 2014 State of the Air report, Birmingham ranked 16th in annual particle pollution and 23rd...
EPA to Live-Stream Civil Rights Public Meeting
This story has been updated with the webcast link and to correct the time of the event. The. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is hosting a public meeting at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, March 1 from 3–6 p.m....
Gasp Hires Michael Hansen as Executive Director
Birmingham, Ala. — Gasp today announced that it has hired Michael Hansen to assume to role of executive director effective immediately. The Memphis, Tenn., native joined Gasp in 2013 as communications director. In that role, he managed marketing strategy, branding,...
Curveball at the Supreme Court: Clean Power Plan Blocked
On February 8, 2016, in a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an administrative stay that halted the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan would have denied the stay. On January 21, 2016 the D.C. Circuit Court denied a stay on the...
Utility Charges Hamper Alabama’s Nascent Clean Energy Economy
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A new white paper released today by health advocacy organization Gasp examines the detrimental impact of charges imposed on residential utility customers who install solar power on their own homes. The report — “An Analysis of Utility Network Use...
Gasp to Weigh in on Proposed Changes to EPA Civil Rights Complaint Process
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today we celebrate the life and...
Circuit Court Reverses Board of Health Decision Denying Request for Hearing
Today, the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Ala., reversed a decision by the Jefferson County Board of Health denying Gasp’s Request for Hearing on the reissuance of ABC Coke’s operating permit. Finding that Gasp adequately followed Board of Health rules, Judge...
Alabama Ranked 5th Most Polluted State for Particle Pollution
HealthGrove, a website that offers news and data analysis about health topics, has named Alabama's air pollution the fifth worst in the nation. Specifically, their researchers analyzed fine particulate matter data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Mississippi Beats Alabama to Net Metering
I’m sure you’ve heard Alabamians say “thank God for Mississippi.” Whether we are looking for a silver lining whilst bemoaning Alabama’s low rankings for education or obesity, in many categories, Alabama edges out Mississippi to where Alabamians can breathe a sigh of...
A Toast To Clean Air: Honoring the Past, Committing to the Future
Birmingham was built, literally and figuratively, by steel, iron and coal. This is no secret. The massive statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking, who keeps an eye on the city from atop Red Mountain is a dead giveaway. So, too, are the remains of...
Action Alert: Comment on the EPA’s Proposed Methane Rules
In September, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed its first-ever standards to protect Americans from the harmful heath effects that come with oil and gas operations. As we explained at that time, methane is the primary component of natural gas and is a...
Guest Blog Post: How Clean Is The Air in Your Home?
With all the attention on pollution from cars and factories, you might think about your home as a sacred space of filtered purity. But the truth is that the air in most homes is two to five times more contaminated than outside. And city homes with tight spaces are...
