Columbus achieved something no other U.S. city has managed: moving out of non-compliance with federal air quality standards for ground-level ozone.
Jason Plautz reports: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that Columbus, OH is the first city to move out of non-compliance with federal air quality standards for ground-level ozone, after three years of monitoring data showed the air has finally reached safe levels."
The city has attained 2015 standards, and as a result, "will no longer be subject to certain permitting restrictions and other economic penalties to reduce air pollution." The city credits increased public transit use and investments in clean energy for their success in improving air quality.
Other cities are taking steps backwards, however. "[The] EPA has already proposed downgrading Denver, CO to a 'serious' non-attainment status for the 2008 ozone standard, and is set to propose hat areas around Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Diego, New York City, Connecticut and Nevada also be downgraded for violating that standard," according to Plautz.
San Antonio Ramps Up Air Quality Efforts After Poor Showing
San Antonio's soon-to-be-adopted air quality plan will focus on transportation to reduce the city's air pollution.
Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.
Air Quality Slips After Decades of Progress
Southern California has long been leader in air quality management, but lately the news has not been good.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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