It’s a temporary suspension, for now. For the Washington Post, Maxine Joselow reports:
The program collects data on levels of harmful air pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter, at the 63 national parks in the United States. Federal officials consult this data when deciding whether to grant permits to nearby industrial facilities, such as power plants or oil refineries.
Breathing in these pollutants is linked to a range of adverse health effects. For instance, long- and short-term exposure to particulate matter is associated with heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and premature death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
