Blog Archive
Reducing Air Pollution Improves Children's Lung Health
"The current report and other studies suggest that further improvement in air quality may have beneficial public health effects." This month, a study of the long-term effects of air pollution found that improving air quality also improves the respiratory function of...
Civil Rights Complaint Alleges Environmental Discrimination by Health Department
GASP petitions EPA to investigate environmental discrimination in northern Birmingham neighborhoods suffering from toxic air pollution BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 3, 2015) — GASP today announced that it has filed a second civil rights complaint against the...
Guest Blog Post: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
"I am sick and tired of being sick and tired." – Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights and Voting Rights Leader On Monday, Feb. 2, I was admitted into UAB’s Spain-Wallace hospital for a lung infection due to an exacerbation related to my cystic fibrosis. Last Monday, Feb....
Alabama Power Customers ‘Left in the Dark’ by Public Service Commission
A study released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) confirms what GASP has been saying for the past two years: lack of transparency by the Alabama Public Service Commission hurts consumers. “The Alabama PSC ‘regulates’ Alabama...
Left in the Dark: Report Shines Light on Lack Of Transparency at Alabama PSC
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Feb. 26, 2015) — A study published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis shows the Alabama Public Service Commission conducting much of its most important oversight of Alabama Power in private. The report, by David...
State Department, EPA Team Up to Monitor Global Air Quality
The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed this week that they are teaming up to launch a "new air quality partnership" focused on fine particle pollution (PM 2.5). The EPA will set up air monitors at U.S. embassies and...
GASP Files Civil Rights Complaint Against JCDH
GASP has filed a civil rights environmental discrimination complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) for its issuance of the operating permit for ABC Coke, a division of Drummond Company located in...
Tell the EPA to Strengthen Ozone Standards
For many people, unhealthy air is synonymous with smog — the dirty fog that blankets most major urban and industrial areas. Ozone, the primary ingredient that makes up smog, is one of six criteria air pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality...
Gasp Files Comments in Support of National Priorities List Proposal
Gasp has filed comments in support of the EPA's proposed rule to add the 35th Avenue Superfund site to the National Priorities List. "The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation to assess the nature and...
More Than Football: UAB Needs Academic Integrity and Independence
Change is in the Air Dr. Ray Watts, then-senior vice-president and dean of the UAB School of Medicine, established the Clean Air Initiative in 2012. Combining private and public dollars, it was designed to be an interdisciplinary partnership of UAB’s Schools of...
Solar Works: A Look at Florida’s Solar Landscape
When we launched our Solar Works campaign a few months ago, our aim was to shine a light on Alabama's opportunity to pivot toward a more sustainable, independent energy future. As a Sun Belt state, Alabama would seem poised to take full advantage of the benefits...
Let’s Talk About Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy
As temps dip down into the teens this week, many people are looking for ways to simultaneously conserve energy and stay nice and warm. While conservation tips are helpful in the short-term, it's also important to think about long-term energy efficiency measures we can...
Deadline Nearing for EPA National Priorities List Proposal
The deadline to comment on the Proposed Rule No. 61 is two weeks away. The proposal would add north Birmingham's 35th Avenue Superfund Site to the National Priorities List, an Environmental Protection Agency designation that would allow the federal government to fund...
Why 2014 Was a Great Year for GASP, Air Quality
GASP is a young organization, but we have achieved significant milestones in our five brief years (including two as Alabama First). Please take a moment to watch our 2014 year in review video below and the infographic detailing just a handful of the work we have done...
Op-Ed: UAB, Public Service Commission operating under same rules
The following op-ed was published on al.com Tuesday, Dec. 22. View it and weigh in here. In following recent local news, I am struck by the similar circumstances between the demise of UAB's football program and the way in which Alabama Power's electricity rates are...
Industrial Pollution May Increase Risk of Adverse Birth Outcomes
Science has for a while now posited that there is a strong correlation between exposure to toxic air pollution and negative birth outcomes. A new cross-sectional study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was recently released. It looked into the...
The Link Between Dirty Air and ADHD
An article in the journal PLOS One concludes that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy increases a child's risk of childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public...
Support Adding North Birmingham to National Priorities List
This post has been updated to reflect the EPA's 60-day extension of the public comment period. The previous comment period was set to expire Nov. 22, 2014. The extended comment period will expire Jan. 20, 2015. The EPA recently proposed that the 35th Avenue Superfund...
GASP launches Solar Works to promote Alabama’s solar potential
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Oct. 16, 2014) — GASP launched Solar Works today, a campaign designed to educate and raise awareness about the benefits of solar energy in Alabama. The Solar Works website explains Alabama's solar power capacity, jobs potential, incentive programs...
EPA Grants GASP Petition to Investigate in Tarrant
EPA Grants GASP Petition to Investigate in Tarrant The federal agency announced that is has granted a July request by GASP to conduct a preliminary assessment in the Birmingham suburb TARRANT, Ala. (Oct. 9, 2014) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has...
