Chemical industry backed laws in three US states to restrict use of air pollution data
The chemical industry is lobbying for state-level laws in the US that restrict the use of community-collected air quality data for regulatory enforcement. These laws often mandate the use of expensive, EPA-approved equipment, effectively sidelining low-cost citizen monitoring.
Why it matters
This trend limits the ability of local communities to hold industrial polluters accountable, raising significant concerns about environmental justice and public health transparency.
The flue-gas stacks of Mill Creek generating station in Louisville, Kentucky. The flue-gas stacks of Mill Creek generating station in Louisville, Kentucky. Air pollution Chemical industry backed laws in three US states to restrict use of air pollution data As public air monitors disappear, federal rollbacks and state laws are making it harder than ever to know what’s in the air
Prefer the Guardian on Google As the US’s network for monitoring air pollution deteriorates, a Floodlight investigation has found that the chemical industry is going state-to-state to restrict one of the few options citizens have left for holding polluters accountable: low-cost air sensors.
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