The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "smog" ...
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LNG Controversy Dogs Every Step of the Policy Process
Reporting for the Malibu Times at first, Hans Laetz looks into Australian Energy Conglomerate BHP Billiton's plans to "build a liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal floating off the local coast." But after two months, Laetz was removed from coverage by the Times amid criticism, possibly due to the fact BHP Billiton was an advertising client of the Times. He then was picked up by the Malibu Surfside News, and continued to tell a tale of the various aspects of the deal: how BHP got a smog waiver after White House officials overruled local Environmental Protection Agency officials, the safety and pollution risks of the project; citizens' letters supporting the project to the government, which turned out mostly to be fake; and the opposition of state and federal parks officials to the project.
Tags: BHP Billiton; liquified natural gas; Hans Laetz; environmental issues; Environmental Protection Agency; paddleout protest
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Clear and Present Danger: A Special Issue
This special report examines the state of the air in Los Angeles and shows that air pollution is still a major issue, and appears to be worsening in some ways after more than 50 years of cleanup efforts. The investigation covers the latest on health effects of air pollution, weaknesses in existing pollution regulations, and lack of resources devoted to the issue.
Tags: pollution; environment; Clean Air Act; smog; smoke; ozone layer
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America's Cleanest [And Dirtiest] Cities
In an intense research effort using data from across the country, the authors compared the stats on the nation's 50 most populous metropolitan areas and came up with a ranking of America's cleanest cities.
Tags: data analysis; environment; pollution; smog; emissions; city government
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"Toxic air: Lingering health menace"
This ongoing series uncovered the extent of hazardous air pollution in Louisville, the health risks, the source of pollution, and the failure of federal and local regulators to better address the problems. The newspaper's own independent analysis of air sampling data, published months before the EPA's own official assessment was released, showed pollutants in some areas at concentrations hundreds of times higher than established health thresholds. The series also includes a detailed look at the impact of toxic wastes from industrial plants.
Tags: air pollution; smog; EPA; environment; health; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; industrial pollution; emissions
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Last Gasp
The Fresno Bee reports on increasing smog in the San Joaquin Valley. Some of the major findings are that as Los Angeles air gets cleaner, the Valley's smog problem is worsening; state and federal officials have failed to pay attention to the pollution in the area; polluting vehicles and diesel engines are common in the Valley; agricultural businesses are exempted from air pollution permits; small-particle pollution, connected to high death rates nationwide, presents an even bigger problem than the smog.
Tags: smog; air quality; air pollution; San Joaquin Valley; small-particle pollution; diesel engines; agricultural pollution; EPA; environment; wildlife; health; asthma; children; ozone cleanup; scientific research; automobile emissions; cars; database mapping project
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Drivers in Seattle scour the city for parking, finding frustration at every turn.
Frustration over parking may be highest in downtown Seattle, where a 1996 survey found there are 2.25 workers competing for each parking space. Officials in Seattle and other cities try to limit parking to appease environmentalist who say ample parking encourages drivers to take smog-belching cars onto already clogged roads. This is a three-part series about the parking situation in Seattle.
Tags: parking; autos; Department of Transportation; policy-makers; cars
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Smoke Screen
New Times investigates the government smog fighting program, which attempts to clean the air by junking old cars. The story finds that the program is "an ineffective farce." The reporter quotes a top inspector for Southern California's smog-fighting agency, who says the project is mostly "a car-disposal program for people who have many cars, not an emissions reduction program." People who bring their cars to scrap yards, often use the newfound cash to fix other cars they have, or they come back and buy cheap parts of the car they have just turned in. "Meanwhile, industrial polluters are able to dodge any serious smog controls," The publication reports.
Tags: automobiles; cars; government; South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD); smog; industrial pollutants; environment; health; toxics; Northrop Corp.
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Power to Pollute: War On Clean Air, Coal Loses Clout, Power Brokers, Fatal Beauty
In this multi-part series, the Akron Beacon Journal examines the politics and environmental impact of Ohio's coal industry and electric utilities. The series looks at how Ohio's electric utilities are the dirtiest in America; how thousands of jobs have been lost for the benefit of power companies; how connected coal brokers got rich while the industry itself was suffering; and the environmental damage done to the Adirondack Mountains.
Tags: air pollution; coal burning power plants; Ohio utilities; Clean Air Act; coal industry; sulfur dioxide emissions; ozone threat; smog; electric utilities; acid rain; Adirondack Mountains
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Troubled Water
Gougis examines how the gasoline additive MTBE, that was supposed to rid Los Angeles of the smog, ruined drinking water across California.
Tags: water; drinking water; MTBE; California; smog
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Bad Air Days
E Magazine tracks air pollution in the U.S., the different types, why the air is still polluted, and what the future will look like.
Tags: environment; air pollution; acid rain; smog; ozone