The EPA announced it is terminating its long-running program to create methods for measuring air emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), effectively ending any path toward enforcing Clean Air Act rules on these facilities. The move follows a two-decade-old arrangement, the Air Consent Agreement, under which CAFOs were shielded from legal action while an industry-funded study on emissions measurement was supposed to be completed.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-11-03
A report finds that air pollution from gas-fired power plants planned to supply Utah's Stratos data center could travel well beyond the state, reaching as far as Illinois. The Kevin O'Leary-backed project is projected to eventually consume 9 gigawatts of power, more than twice Utah's total annual electricity use, with that power largely generated by onsite gas combustion.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-28
Washington Post reporting cited by Futurism describes several recent studies finding that microscopic airborne particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue, including regions like the amygdala. UK Biobank data covering roughly half a million people found those with the highest exposure to fine particulate matter were 14 percent more likely to develop dementia, alongside reduced brain volume on scans.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-28
New scientific findings indicate that tiny pollutant particles, including microplastics and airborne contaminants, can enter brain tissue. Researchers say this infiltration may be associated with neurological changes linked to Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-26
A new study from the Houston Advanced Research Center models what happens to Texas air quality if all currently planned data centers connect to the grid using its expected energy mix. Under that scenario, fine particle pollution would more than triple to its highest level since 2006, NOx emissions would rise 136 percent, and CO2 pollution would climb 90 percent above 2025 levels within five years.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-21
A new study found that gas stoves in commercial kitchens generate significantly more heat and release higher levels of toxic air pollutants than electric equivalents. Researchers compared all-electric kitchens and found them to be measurably cooler and cleaner, with lower concentrations of hazardous airborne substances.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-09
A peer-reviewed study in Environmental Research Letters, conducted by Stanford, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and PSE Healthy Energy researchers with chef Christopher Galarza, measured air temperature and pollutants like methane, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene in 27 restaurant kitchens across California, New York and Pennsylvania. It found that kitchens using gas or propane appliances exposed workers to pollutant and heat levels exceeding health guidelines, compared with all-electric kitchens.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-07
New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection fined data center operator DataOne $1.1 million for running 45 of 62 gas generators without required air permits, violating the state's Air Pollution Control Act. The generators operated at 1,982 kilowatts, far above the 37-kilowatt threshold requiring permits, and the violation surfaced after The Guardian and Floodlight News published thermal drone footage in August. DataOne has 45 days to apply for permits or stop operations, but can keep running the generators during that review period.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-24
A new Institute for Policy Studies report finds that private jets, used by a small fraction of Americans, receive significant taxpayer-funded subsidies and infrastructure support despite their outsized carbon footprint. The study argues that ordinary taxpayers effectively help cover the costs of a travel mode overwhelmingly used by the wealthy.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
The EPA is proposing to eliminate a federal rule requiring states to notify the public and accept comments before approving air-pollution permits for industrial facilities, including data centers and the power plants built to supply them. A separate EPA proposal from last month would also allow developers to begin construction before permits are finalized. These changes come as data centers expand rapidly across the rural South, disproportionately affecting Black communities.
capitalbnews.org
· 2026-09-11
The EPA has proposed eliminating a federal rule that requires states to notify the public and accept comments before issuing air pollution permits for data centers and other industrial facilities. States would still be allowed to hold public comment periods voluntarily, but would no longer be required to do so as a condition of granting permits. The proposal comes amid growing local opposition to the rapid construction of AI-driven data centers nationwide.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-03
Researchers measured billions to trillions of tiny airborne particles released when scented cleaning products are used indoors. The particle levels detected were comparable to the kind of pollution seen in urban smog conditions.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-08-28
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