air quality

Winston-Salem saw near record number of good air quality days in 2022, despite Weaver fire

12:52pm March 10, 2023

Air quality recovered quickly after the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant fire. That’s according to a review of air pollution data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan stands near the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Reserve, La., on Nov. 16, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday awarded grants for projects to monitor air quality in 37 states.

The EPA awards grants to monitor air quality in communities hurt by pollution

2:56pm November 03, 2022

by The Associated Press

Dozens of projects will receive millions to boost monitoring near industrial sites. The Biden administration wants to focus on environmental justice in communities impacted by decades of pollution.

Environment

Report takes aim at EPA, WFU, and local officials over Weaver fire response

4:09pm August 05, 2022

by Keri Brown

A recent study claims local officials and environmental agencies downplayed hazardous air conditions during the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant fire — and more should have been done to alert the public.

Environment

Report raises questions about air quality during Winston Weaver chemical fire

5:26pm August 03, 2022

by Keri Brown

A recent study by the American Lung Association found that more Americans are living in areas with increased levels of air pollution. Los Angeles has recorded the worst levels of ozone for all but one of the past 23 years.

More than 137 million Americans live in areas with poor air quality, report finds

8:24am April 21, 2022

by Dustin Jones

The rising number of fires hamper decades of environmental efforts, and over 40% of Americans — more than 137 million people — live in places with poor air quality, a new report says.

Open windows and portable air cleaners can help improve ventilation, but many schools in the U.S. are more than 45 years old and need a complete overhaul of their HVAC systems.

Better air in classrooms matters beyond COVID. Here's why schools aren't there yet

2:28pm March 14, 2022

by Maria Godoy

Boosting ventilation and filtration not only lowers the risk of transmission, it's also linked to higher test scores and better health. But making upgrades is more complex than it sounds.

Interstate 405 cuts through neighborhoods near the Los Angeles International Airport, seen here in 2017. A new study found links between modern urban air pollution and historical redlining at the national level.

Even many decades later, redlined areas see higher levels of air pollution

10:04pm March 10, 2022

by Laurel Wamsley

"We see a really clear association between how these maps were drawn in the '30s and the air pollution disparities today," says an author of a study on the effects of the discriminatory policy.

Health & Safety

As fire suppression efforts increase, air quality improves in Winston-Salem

5:00pm February 04, 2022

by April Laissle

Air quality in Winston-Salem has been improving due to increased fire suppression efforts at the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant.

Health & Safety

As fertilizer plant fire burns, Forsyth County environmental official sounds alarm about air pollution

6:00am February 03, 2022

by April Laissle

A Forsyth County environmental official is sounding alarms about the air pollution resulting from the ongoing fire at the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant.

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Health & Safety

Thousands flee homes near N. Carolina fertilizer plant fire

6:35pm February 01, 2022

by Associated Press

UPDATED 6:35 p.m.