Blog Archive
New Ozone Standards Will Protect Children, Elderly
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a long-awaited new air quality health standard for ground-level ozone, or smog. This announcement is welcome news for thousands of Alabamians young and old who want to live a healthy life. The EPA set the new...
Bringing Solar Energy to Low-Income Households
Solar energy is the fastest growing source of electricity in the U.S. Last year, the amount of solar capacity installed in the U.S. every three weeks was equivalent to the entire amount of solar capacity installed for the year in 2008. Not only is the solar energy...
‘Dark Money’ Fighting Against Solar Energy Exposed
Net metering continues to be a hotly contested issue between energy companies and consumer advocates — including pro-solar and environmental groups. Media Matters, a “progressive research and information center,” has published an extensive report on so-called “dark...
EPA to Investigate Potential Threats to Public Health, Environment in Tarrant
EPA to Investigate Potential Threats to Public Health, Environment in Tarrant TARRANT, Ala. — On July 1, 2014, GASP filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to look into potential releases of hazardous substances from the ABC Coke plant in...
‘Biking & Breathing’: Columbia Researchers Employ Wearable Technology to Study NYC Air Pollution
If you’re anything like me, you look forward each week to the newest episode of Science Friday, a.k.a., “SciFri.” I listen to the show on Birmingham’s NPR affiliate, WBHM. Last week, Science Friday aired a particularly interesting segment for us at GASP. “Pedaling...
EPA to Investigate Alleged Civil Rights Violations from Air Pollution
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Aug. 28, 2015) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Civil Rights has accepted a complaint by GASP against the Jefferson County (Ala.) Department of Health for alleged civil rights violations from air pollution. GASP, a clean air...
EPA Proposes First-Ever Rules to Reduce Methane Emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is continuing the streak of important air pollution prevention regulations. Last week, the EPA proposed the nation’s first-ever rules for methane emissions from oil and natural gas drilling. Methane is the primary component of...
A Strong Clean Power Plan Will Reduce Carbon Pollution, Protect Health
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its long-awaited Clean Power Plan, a set of rules designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Overall, the plan seeks to bring carbon pollution down 32 percent...
What the Federal Court’s Ruling on the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Actually Means
Last week, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by states and industry groups that the Transport Rule — or Cross-State Air Pollution (CSAPR) — was overly burdensome. While the D.C. Circuit kept the Transport Rule in place, the Court ordered the EPA to...
Alabama Power Seeks 500 Megawatts of Renewable Energy
Perhaps one of Alabama’s best kept secrets is that the sun shines here just like it does in other Sunbelt states. That’s the conclusion you might draw based on the state’s lackluster performance in the solar energy sector. Alabama has long lagged behind the rest of...
BREAKING: Board of Health Denies GASP’s Request for a Hearing on Walter Coke Air Permit
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — July 8, 2015 — The Jefferson County Board of Health, the governing body of the Department of Health (JCDH), voted tonight to dismiss a request by GASP for a hearing on the issuance of a key air pollution permit for the Walter Coke facility in...
MATS Rule Not Dead, Will Protect Public Health
In April, I wrote about the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule that had just gone into effect: "GASP strongly supports the MATS rule because it will be crucial in improving air quality and public health. Until recently, there were no national limits on...
GASP Named a Finalist for BBJ Nonprofit Awards
GASP is honored to be named a finalist for the Birmingham Business Journal's 2015 Nonprofit Awards! We're in the running in the "Under $350k (revenue)" category with two outstanding organizations: TechBirmingham and KultureCity. We asked our executive director to tell...
Citizen Science Movement Can Help Solve Birmingham’s Pollution Problem
On Tuesday, I sent a letter to Heather McTeer Toney, EPA Region IV administrator, asking that her agency invest in “next generation” air monitoring in Birmingham to gather data, empower citizens and improve public health for northern Birmingham communities. “It has...
PSC’s ‘Misplaced Priorities’ Lead to Higher Utility Bills for Alabamians
A report titled "What Public Service? How the Alabama Public Service Commission’s misplaced priorities put utility profits over people" was released last week by Greater Birmingham Ministries. GASP has been seeking transparency at the PSC for the past two years with a...
GASP Wins Hermes Creative Award for ‘Toxic City: Birmingham’s Dirty Secret’
Updated on Tuesday, May 5 to include link to film. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — GASP is proud to announce that “Toxic City: Birmingham’s Dirty Secret” won a Gold Hermes Creative Award in the documentary category. The award is given by the Association of Marketing and...
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Will Improve Air Quality, Protect Health
On December 16, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a rule to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants from power plants called the mercury and air toxics standards, or MATS. The aim is to reduce emissions from new and existing coal- and oil-fired...
Why Did the Board of Health Dismiss GASP’s Appeal of ABC Coke’s Permit?
The Permit The Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to issue what are known as Title V Operating Permits for facilities that qualify as major sources of air pollution (e.g., manufacturing facilities, power plants, and chemical plants)....
Board of Health Dismisses GASP’s Request for Hearing on ABC Coke Permit
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 named ABC Coke — one of Alabama’s worst toxic air polluters — a potentially responsible party for contamination in northern Birmingham. ABC Coke’s Title V Operating Permit was up for renewal last year, and GASP...
Update on GASP’s Appeal of the ABC Coke Permit
GASP has been raising awareness of the toxic air pollution affecting Birmingham since our inception. As soon as the EPA named the potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) for the contamination in the 35th Avenue Superfund Site, we got to work advocating for stronger...
