A report released by the EPA yesterday, Climate Change Indicators in the United States, presents strong evidence that climate change is occurring across the United States – and is affecting human health in ways ranging from a longer ragweed pollen season to a rise in heat-related deaths.

One of the major controversies involving hydraulic fracturing – or, “fracking” – will be the subject of an EPA inquiry that could lead to new regulations on the industry.

May is Asthma Awareness Month, and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is taking the opportunity to spread the word about how environmental asthma triggers affect sufferers of the disease. “One in ten kids in America today suffers from asthma, whichdisproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income families,” said U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

As reported previously, we found a causal factor of the tragedy to be long-term, undetected High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) of the steel equipment, which led to the vessel rupture on the day of the accident and the massive release of highly flammable hydrogen and naphtha.

Individual action can make a difference in protecting the climate, according to the EPA, which is using Earth Day – coming up on April 22^nd – to educate the public about ways to combat climate change.

As the number of chemical disasters and injuries continues to mount in 2014, evidence shows that the risks that chemical facilities present to the local communities in which they are located are greater than many residents previously understood. The Center for Effective Government has created a set of maps, showing how close many of these facilities are to schools and hospitals.

People with heart disease should check the daily Air Quality Index forecast and avoid exercising out of doors on bad air quality days, according to the EPA, which has issued a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) to educate the public and healthcare providers about the risks of air pollution to the heart.

Total releases of toxic chemicals decreased 12 percent from 2011-2012, according to the EPA’s annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report released this week. The decrease includes an eight percent decline in total toxic air releases, primarily due to reductions in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions.