(Washington, D.C.-01/18/06) Baxter International Inc., General Motors Corporation, IBM Corporation, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and SC Johnson are the first corporations to achieve voluntary greenhouse gas reduction goals set through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Leaders program. These companies will be recognized today along with 11 other corporations that are announcing greenhouse gas reduction goals and 13 corporations that are joining the program at a meeting in California.

"By achieving their greenhouse gas reduction goals, these leading companies are proving that doing what is good for the environment, is also good for business," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "EPA is working hand-in-hand with business to voluntarily reduce their climate footprints in cost-effective ways. Together, the United States is making great progress toward President Bush's goal of reducing the nation's greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent over 10 years."

By JIM ROONEY, For The Capital
Q. I value your opinion very much and need it for the debate that is presently going on with my parents. It is about how necessary it is to have a humidifier on the gas furnace in our house. They say it is not but I say it is as necessary as the furnace itself. We used to have one back in the 1970s and '80s. The house felt so much better in winter. That humidifier is still attached but not working because it just stopped working and needed too much maintenance. We now have problems with our sinuses and dry eyes. It never seems to feel warm enough even though the thermostat is set at 75 degrees. Are there humidifiers that don't need as much maintenance and do we actually need one? Are they expensive to run and which one is best?

(Washington, D.C. -- Friday, December 23, 2005) In light of a recent court opinion, EPA is reconsidering an additional aspect of its Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). CAIR requires 28 States and the District of Columbia to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from power plants. Today's action will not delay implementation of the rule, which will achieve the largest reduction in air pollution in more than a decade. EPA issued the final CAIR on March 10, 2005.

EPA has decided to grant an industry petition asking EPA to reconsider and provide an opportunity for public comment on an additional issue related to the CAIR. The petition asks EPA to examine the impact of a recent D.C. Circuit Court decision, New York v. EPA, 413 F.3d 3 (D.C. Cir. 2005), on analyses used in developing CAIR to identify highly cost-effective emissions reductions.

Ed Bishop
Air purifier filters are not always the answer to air quality problems.

Solving the problem is a much better approach than masking the symptom.

The following are the basic approaches to improve indoor air quality:

1. Eliminate or control the pollutant source.
2. Dilution of the contaminants through ventilation.
3. Removal or reduction of the contaminants through filtration or purification with the use of air purifier filters or air purifiers.

Proper ventilation in a building is a must!

Before the energy crunch in the 1970's, fresh air in buildings was not really an issue.

(Washington, D.C.-Dec. 9, 2005) Based on recent analyses of health risks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule to reduce emissions of perchloroethylene (perc) from dry cleaners.

"Risks from most dry cleaners across the country generally are low, and our proposed requirements would make them even lower," said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for air and radiation. "But based on what we now know about the risks from perc dry cleaners, a small group of dry cleaners located in apartment buildings requires closer examination. We are asking the public for additional information that could help us develop strategies to reduce these risks more quickly."

A specially developed oil mixture reduced airborne levels of particulate matter at a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers evaluated an oil spray developed to reduce the airborne health hazards at industrial feeding facilities. Chronic respiratory illnesses are a serious concern for CAFO workers, as well as for the surrounding communities and animals themselves. The study, published in the current online edition of Environmental, Science and Technology, measured indoor air pollution in a mid-Atlantic swine facility. It found ten-fold reductions in the amounts of dust and bacteria in a barn where the spray was used compared with an identical barn where no spray was used. In contrast, however, the oil spray did not impact levels of ammonia, another pollutant generated from CAFO facilities.

Ed Bishop
If you have a heating or cooling systems that uses air ducts, you could have a problem.

There are many duct systems that are poorly designed and installed that have the ability to bring pollutants into your home.

Some are ducts are located in wet or damp crawl spaces and basements.

I've seen some of these areas and some look like an open sewer.

Having ducts that are not properly sealed or insulated in these locations can draw moisture, mold, bacteria and even carbon monoxide into the building.

Unsealed ducts have the same effect as opening a hatch to these ares, the only difference is that you don't see it and the fan from the heating or cooling appliance will force more of the pollutants into the living space at a much higher rate.

EPA is issuing an initial draft of the staff paper on ground-level ozone
as part of a process to gather public, technical and scientific input to
ensure that federal air quality standards reflect the latest air
pollution and health effects research. The draft staff paper, "Review
of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone," includes
scientific and technical information about ozone related health and
welfare effects, initial results from a human exposure analysis and
health risk assessment, and discussion of a planned vegetation-related
environmental assessment.

This initial draft staff paper does not provide staff recommendations as

THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) — Want a great, green way to clean the air in your house?

A new study by a California teenager suggests that a not-so-usual suspect — the English ivy plant — might be just the ticket.

Ryan Kim, the son of an allergy researcher, found that an English ivy plant does a significant job of cleansing the air of mold particles and other nasty particulates, including canine fecal matter.

For more info click here

(Washington, D.C.-Nov. 9, 2005) As part of the nationwide effort to
improve air quality, EPA issued rules and guidance to state, local and
tribal governments on how to develop plans to reduce ozone pollution in
areas that do not meet EPA's health-based standards.

"This rule signifies EPA's commitment to working with communities to
develop cost effective plans," EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for
Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum said. "As our ozone rule and other clean
air rules take effect, Americans will be able to work, exercise and play
in cleaner, healthier air."

The Phase 2 Ozone Implementation Rule outlines emissions control and