First of all, the Futurism Now podcast is moving to Climate Files Radio.   It will return in January 2010.

Second, if anyone reading this can attend EPA public hearings in Atlanta, you can witness the  EPA public hearings on air quality standards for sulfur dioxide.   Proposed revisions are here.  This looks like another step in the process of regulating emissions from gas, oil and especially, coal plants.  The hearings are January 5 and the address is below.

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing on the agency’s proposal to strengthen the nation’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) standards. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma, cause respiratory difficulties, and result in emergency room visits and hospitalization. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to SO2’s effects. EPA is taking comment on a proposal to establish a new national one-hour SO2 standard, between 50 and 100 parts per billion. This standard is designed to protect against short-term exposures ranging from five minutes to 24 hours. Because the revised standards would be more protective, EPA is proposing to revoke the current 24-hour and annual SO2 health standards.”

(more below including a map where you can look up your county’s sulfur pollution)

The EPA has a lot of information on its site concerning sulfur dioxide, and no matter where you are in the country, you can look up your county’s sulfur dioxide output.  It’s obviously a big human health concern, and most sulfur dioxide comes from burning coal. Here are some of the health concerns caused by sulfur dioxide and burning coal:

Current scientific evidence links short-term exposures to SO2, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours, with an array of adverse respiratory effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms.  These effects are particularly important for asthmatics at elevated ventilation rates (e.g., while exercising or playing.)

Studies also show a connection between short-term exposure and increased visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses, particularly in at-risk populations including children, the elderly, and asthmatics.

. . . . .   SOx can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles. These particles penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen respiratory disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis, and can aggravate existing heart disease, leading to increased hospital admissions and premature death.

Regulatory actions by EPA on sulfur dioxide can be found here.  You can find your county on the EPA’s map to find out your local sulfur dioxide pollution and what is causing it.  The map is here.

In my county, the total emissions of sulfur dioxide from fossil fuel emissions (not including gasoline) in 2005 was 1506 tons.  In a neighboring county, where there is a coal plant (the 13th dirtiest coal plant in the country) the total emissions of sulfur dioxide that year was only 78 tons, but from electricity generation it was 22,840 tons!  The coal plant is near the city of Becker, Minnesota and [...]