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274 results
Washington Clean Trucks Program An Analysis of the Impacts of Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks on the Environment, Public Health, Industry, and the Economy
The report analyzes the transition of Washington's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) under three scenarios: the ACT Rule, the ACT + NOx Omnibus Rule, and a highly ambitious '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. The most aggressive scenario is projected to generate cumulative net societal benefits of over $42.8 billion by 2050, including significant reductions in premature deaths and greenhouse gas emissions. While ZEVs currently have higher purchase costs, the analysis predicts lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles by 2030. The transition is expected to benefit electric utilities through increased revenue and potentially lower electricity rates for residential and commercial customers, while creating national job gains in electrical component manufacturing and infrastructure construction.
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Document type: Report
Climate Nightmare Before Christmas – with Apologies to Clement C. Moore
The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the EPA under Andrew Wheeler for rushing through rules that support "uncontrolled generation" and disregard climate science and public health. The author argues that the EPA is ignoring statutory protections and legal requirements, such as the APA and CRA, to implement rollbacks on methane, ozone, coal ash, and carbon rules before the administration's tenure ends, vowing that these actions will be challenged in court.
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Document type: Statement
Clean Air Task Force Statement on EPA Particulate Matter NAAQS Rule
The Clean Air Task Force argues that the EPA's decision to maintain current particulate matter standards ignores scientific evidence and career staff recommendations for a tighter standard (as low as 8 µg/m 3), thereby undermining public health and environmental justice for low-income communities and people of color.
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Document type: Statement
Climate Change in the San Joaquin Valley
The document examines how climate change exacerbates water scarcity, poor water and air quality, and economic instability in the San Joaquin Valley, offering specific adaptation strategies for households and communities.
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Document type: Guide
Clean Growth in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has achieved significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2018 while maintaining economic growth, driven by fuel switching in electricity, energy efficiency, and a growing clean tech sector. However, the province faces structural unemployment in rural and Indigenous communities, high energy costs for households, and difficulties in decarbonizing the transportation sector to meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Document type: Case study
Air pollution and its impact on human health
The document highlights the critical link between air pollution, human health, and climate change, specifically focusing on short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). It argues that because air pollution has a more immediate and tangible impact on public health than long-term climate change, it can serve as a powerful catalyst for policy action. The brief details the health burdens of PM2.5 and tropospheric ozone, including millions of asthma-related hospital visits and pre-term births. To facilitate this, the Stockholm Environment Institute promotes the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator (IBC) to help cities and nations model emission projections and quantify health and climate benefits simultaneously.
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Document type: Policy brief
CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles
ClientEarth argues that the UK government's proposed approach to retaining EU CO2 emission standards is insufficient and potentially weakens regulatory requirements. The organization urges the government to adjust the vehicle mass baseline (M0) to reflect UK averages, reduce sales volume derogation thresholds, and introduce a binding zero exhaust emission vehicle (ZEEV) mandate to phase out petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles by 2030.
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Document type: Statement
Technical Report: Economic & Clean Energy Benefits of Establishing a Competitive Wholesale Electricity Market in the Southeast United States
The report uses the WIS:dom-P optimization model to compare four capacity expansion scenarios for the Southeast US: the current SE IRP, an economic IRP without an RTO, an SE RTO, and an SE RTO that retains uneconomic nuclear plants. The findings indicate that the SE RTO scenario is the most economic, offering cumulative savings of $383.7 billion by 2040 and the highest job creation. Retaining nuclear plants further reduces emissions, saving an additional 156.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 by 2040 at a minimal additional cost. The study also highlights the role of variable renewable energy (VRE) and storage in meeting seasonal demand peaks and the importance of transmission expansion in a coordinated regional market.
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Document type: Report
Strengthening Scientific Integrity at the Environmental Protection Agency
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) argues that the EPA has systematically undermined scientific integrity since January 2017 through political censorship, the sidelining of expert advisory committees, and the suppression of research. The report details specific instances of scientific failure—such as the reversal of a chlorpyrifos ban and the delay of a formaldehyde assessment—and proposes a comprehensive roadmap for reform. Key recommendations include lifting hiring freezes on scientific positions, rescinding rules that restrict the use of confidential data in regulatory science, and establishing a formal process for resolving differing scientific opinions. The document also emphasizes the need to eliminate industry conflicts of interest among political appointees and to protect the rights of scientists to communicate their findings to the public without political interference.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Consultation: Ending the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans
ClientEarth advocates for a legally binding 2030 deadline to end the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles in the UK, arguing that the government's proposed 2035 date is insufficient to tackle illegal air pollution and climate change. The response emphasizes that Zero Exhaust Emission Vehicles (ZEEVs) should be the only vehicles sold, excluding hybrids due to their failure to deliver promised environmental benefits. To achieve this, ClientEarth recommends a combination of supply-side mandates, CO2 performance standards, expanded charging infrastructure, and demand incentives such as VAT exemptions and a targeted diesel scrappage scheme. The document highlights the severe health impacts of NO2 and PM2.5 pollution, noting that road transport is a primary contributor to illegal pollution levels in UK cities.
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Document type: Statement
Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations
The Clean Air Task Force criticizes a proposed EPA rule that would change how the costs and benefits of Clean Air Act regulations are measured, claiming the move lacks statutory authority and is designed to limit environmental protections. The statement highlights that public health benefits typically outweigh compliance costs, citing an EPA study where benefits of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments exceeded costs by over 30 to 1. The author characterizes this proposal as part of a broader deregulatory agenda under the Trump administration that ignores science and economic principles.
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Document type: Statement
UPDATED EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights submitted an updated expert report by Dr. Ranajit Sahu to the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries regarding Eskom's Kendal power station. The report identifies 2,851 exceedances of the atmospheric emission licence (AEL) limit for particulate matter between April 2016 and March 2020. The authors express concern over Eskom's reporting practices, alleging that contraventions are improperly coded as 'Grace' or 'Section 30' exceedances to avoid shutdown or service. The letter argues that these findings, along with a report by Dr. Andrew Gray on premature deaths, are relevant to the pending decision on Eskom's objection to a compliance notice.
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Document type: Statement
Eskom’s Kendal Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License Limit Values for Particulate Matter from April 2016 to March 2020
The report finds that Eskom's Kendal Power Station recorded 2,851 exceedances of its 100 mg/Nm3 particulate matter (PM) limit between April 2016 and March 2020. Exceedances increased significantly in April 2018 and remained high, with January 2020 recording the highest monthly total of 151. The analysis indicates that existing electrostatic precipitators are failing, and the author recommends either shutting down the plant or rapidly retrofitting all six units with fabric filters to meet AEL and World Bank standards.
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Document type: Report
Modos de trasmisión y factores que afectan a la exposición/trasmisión
The document identifies three primary transmission modes for SARS-CoV-2: direct physical contact, intermediate inanimate objects, and respiratory droplets or aerosols. It highlights that fine particles (<10 µm) can reach pulmonary alveoli, while larger droplets (>100 µm) contribute primarily to contact transmission. Environmental factors such as low temperatures and specific relative humidity levels are noted to increase virus survival, while solar ultraviolet radiation acts as a natural virucide. The report discusses correlations between high levels of atmospheric pollutants, such as NO2 and PM2.5, and increased COVID-19 mortality and incidence in regions including Northern Italy, Spain, China, and the United States, suggesting that pollution may predispose individuals to more severe infections.
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Document type: Research paper
Modos de trasmisión y factores que afectan a la exposición/trasmisión
The document identifies three primary transmission routes for SARS-CoV-2: direct physical contact, intermediate inanimate objects, and respiratory droplets or aerosols. It highlights that indoor environments significantly increase contagion risk and that climatic factors like low temperature and specific relative humidity levels can enhance virus survival. A substantial portion of the text examines the correlation between air pollution—specifically NO2 and PM2.5—and increased COVID-19 mortality and incidence in regions such as Northern Italy, Spain, China, and the US. It also discusses the potential role of global warming in altering transmission patterns through changes in human behavior and animal migration.
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Document type: Research paper
Emissionsgrenzwerte für Kohlekraftwerke: Gesundheitliche Folgen der vorgeschlagenen Grenzwerte in Deutschland
The report finds that the German government's proposed emission limits for coal power plants would lead to 26,000 attributable deaths and €73 billion in economic costs between 2022 and 2038. Implementing the best available techniques (BAT) for all plants would reduce deaths to 5,800 and costs to approximately €15.8 billion. The study also highlights significant mercury emissions under the government's plan, which would cause 1,100 deaths and 400,000 IQ points of neurological damage in children.
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Document type: Research paper
Eligibility of New Jersey Waste Incinerators in State Renewable Portfolio Standard and Request for Meeting
The Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) argue that New Jersey waste incinerators are ineligible for Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) subsidies because they have consistently violated Clean Air Act permits. The authors claim that ratepayers have paid approximately $30 million in subsidies to these facilities between 2005 and 2019, despite legal requirements that eligible 'Class II renewable energy' sources must meet the 'highest environmental standards'. The document highlights that these incinerators are located in environmental justice communities and that the BPU and DEP have failed to provide the same level of oversight for in-state facilities as they do for out-of-state ones.
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Document type: Statement
EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE EMISSIONS FROM ESKOMS KENDAL POWER STATION
The Centre for Environmental Rights submitted two expert reports to the South African government detailing severe particulate matter (PM) limit exceedances and associated health impacts at Eskom's Kendal power station. Dr. Ron Sahu's analysis found 2,712 PM exceedances between April 2016 and March 2020, noting that electrostatic precipitators are failing. Dr. Andrew Gray's report estimates that emissions caused between 61 and 144 premature deaths annually between 2018 and 2019 and severely exceeded WHO air quality guidelines for SO2, PM2.5, and NOx in the Highveld Priority Area, particularly affecting sensitive receptors like primary schools.
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Document type: Statement
Improving WHO urban air pollutant database
The paper evaluates the 2018 WHO global ambient air quality database, which contains PM10 and PM2.5 data for thousands of cities worldwide. It identifies challenges in comparing air pollution across different income levels and warns that the database has been used to draw inaccurate conclusions.
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Document type: Research paper
Eskom’s Kendal Power Station Exceedances of Applicable Atmospheric Emission License Limit Values for Particulate Matter from April 2016 to March 2020
The report finds that Kendal Power Station had 2,712 PM exceedances between April 2016 and March 2020, with frequencies increasing threefold starting in April 2018. The author concludes that electrostatic precipitators are failing and recommends either shutting down the plant or retrofitting it with fabric filters to meet AEL and World Bank standards.
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Document type: Report