REINS Act Could Spell Disaster for Clean Air
Today the 115th Congress convened in Washington. Experts and policy wonks anticipate that the House of Representatives is likely to pass H.R. 427, "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017" — better known as the REINS Act. This bill passed the...
Tell Your Senator to Vote Yes on 100% Renewable Energy by 2050
Earlier this month, Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate to shift America to 100% renewable energy by 2050. The goal of this resolution is to help consumers, support the economy and national security and avoid...
Gasp Joins 120+ Organizations in Letter to President-Elect Trump, Congress
DEAR PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP & CONGRESS, Communities here at home and around the world are reeling from more extreme and unpredictable weather events, sustained drought, dramatic floods, and unprecedented wildfires. While we will all be impacted, it is the poorest...
Scott Pruitt is an Offensive Choice for the EPA
Yesterday, multiple news outlets reported that President-Elect Donald Trump has selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Below is Gasp Executive Director Michael Hansen's statement in response to this pick: By...
Where Do We Go From Here?
Friends, Happy Veteran's Day! We are so grateful for the service of those who keep us safe and secure. Our service men and women make it possible for us to do this important work freely. On that note, I don't think I need to tell you that the outcome of the...
Air Quality Concerns After the Colonial Pipeline Explosion
Several people have pinged us since Monday with questions about the tragic Colonial Pipeline explosion in Shelby County and if there is any air quality concerns. First of all, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the man who lost his life as well as those...
EPA Releases final Environmental Justice 2020 Action Agenda
On Thursday, the EPA released its final EJ 2020 Action Agenda. EPA’s stated vision is to integrate environmental justice into everything that they do, cultivate strong partnerships to improve on-the-ground results, and chart a path forward for achieving better...
Uber-Popular RECLAIM Act Would Benefit Alabama’s Coal Communities
A recent poll shows overwhelming support in Appalachia for a bipartisan bill called the RECLAIM Act that would release $1 billion to create economic development opportunities in coal communities affected by the energy industry's transition away from dirty fossil...
Did the Colonial Pipeline Gas Spill Affect Birmingham’s Air Quality?
On September 9, 2016, during a routine check of an inactive coal mine in the area, an inspector for the Alabama Surface Mining Commission discovered oily residue on the surface of a retention pond and noted a strong gasoline smell. Colonial Pipeline Company says "Line...
EPA Issues Final Cross State Air Pollution Rule
On September 7, 2016, The EPA finalized Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) in the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Update to address air quality impacts of the interstate transport of ozone air pollution in the eastern United States. CSAPR addresses summertime...
Alabama is the 3rd Most Expensive State for Electricity Bills
Here we go again. Alabama has been named one of the most energy-expensive states according to WalletHub, a website that provides consumers with free financial information and analysis. Source: WalletHub We fared better overall in this year's report than we did in...
Stronger Air Pollution Standards Could Save Lives
"Meeting tighter pollution standards could prevent 63 avoidable deaths, 117 serious illnesses, and 88,414 adverse impact days in Birmingham alone." A report released this week by the American Thoracic Society and the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York...
Clean Energy Incentive Program Moving Forward Despite Clean Power Plan Delays
As we mentioned before, on February 9, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the Clean Power Plan. On May 16, 2016, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that oral arguments be rescheduled for September 27, 2016 and will be he heard by the full en banc D.C. Circuit...
Help Gasp Fight for Environmental Justice
Some communities in our country suffer from a larger burden of environmental hazards than others. These areas are referred to as environmental justice (EJ) communities. While more attention has been given to EJ communities as of late, tangible, specific changes to...
SCOTUS Denies Appeal Over Embattled MATS Rule
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States denied certiorari in Michigan v. EPA. This means that SCOTUS rejected Michigan’s and 20 other states, including Alabama, appeal to block the mercury and air toxics standards (MATS). In denying review, SCOTUS upholds...
Study Finds Air Pollution’s Damage to Lungs, Heart and Brain Underestimated
"Air pollution has emerged as a significant contributor to global stroke burden, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, and therefore reducing exposure to air pollution should be one of the main priorities to reduce stroke burden in these countries."...
Don’t Let U.S. Congress Gut the Clean Air Act!
In March, Representative Pete Olson from Texas introduced H.R. 4775, the “Ozone Standards Implementation Act.” As is often the case, the devil is in the details of this rather innocuous-sounding bill. In fact, H.R. 4775 seeks to not only delay implementation of the...
Here Comes the Sun: Project Sunroof Shows Your Potential
When you think of Google, you probably think of searching the internet for those random questions that pop into your head throughout the day. Or maybe email, chat, mapping directions, document collaboration or one of a dozen other ubiquitous products the company is...
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...
