Johnson County Environmental Department

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		Radon: The Invisible Danger - article Radon: The Silent Killer - video May 5, 2008 NBC Action News When there is visible danger, people do what it takes to protect themselves and their loved ones. But there is a danger you cannot see, feel hear or smell and it could be in your home, slowly and silently claiming lives.

Major Report Links Smog to Death April 22, 2008 MSNBC Short-term exposure to smog, or ozone, is clearly linked to premature deaths that should be taken into account when measuring the health benefits of reducing air pollution, a National Academy of Sciences review concludes.

Spring Clean Your Air April 12, 2008 Newsweek Joe Minott says he sometimes feels like a bit player in a remake of the B-movie classic "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster." On hot, sunny days, when a blanket of smog—a noxious mix of ground-level ozone and other pollutants—darkens the skyline near his Philadelphia home, Minott is loath to venture out. He suffers from an autoimmune disorder called sarcoidosis that affects his lungs.

'Some Pollution is OK' April 3, 2008 KC Community News Johnson County senators, except Wysong, support coal-fired power plants; House members mixed

County Joins Local Leaders in Effort to Reduce Environmental Damage April 3, 2008 KC Community News Johnson County has joined the metro area's Sustainable Skylines initiative.

Hydrogen Highway Hits Roadblock March 31, 2008 Mercury News Four years ago this month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order to create a "hydrogen highway" - a network of hydrogen fueling stations where California motorists could fill up fuel cell cars that release no smog, only water vapor.

EPA Tightens Pollution Standards March 13, 2008 Washington Post The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday limited the allowable amount of pollution-forming ozone in the air to 75 parts per billion, a level significantly higher than what the agency's scientific advisers had urged for this key component of unhealthy air pollution.

Olympians Air a Gripe About Beijing March 12, 2008 Los Angeles Times Fearing the pollution, some will train offshore and may wear masks; others talk of skipping all or part of the Summer Games.

Guess who's joining electric car industry? GE March 6, 2008 MSNBC All-electric vehicles got a huge boost this week when General Electric announced two investments it said are aimed at making "electric transportation practical and affordable."

GM Has Lithium-Ion Batteries for Hybrids Figured Out March 4, 2008 USA Today General Motors will begin mass production in 2010 of hybrid vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries, and in many cases, small-displacement turbocharged gasoline engines. The combination will allow the automaker to use the hybrid system on any size vehicle it produces.

Tesla: Little Electric Roadster That Could March 3, 2008 USA Today A little roadster that goes into regular production in two week is already electrifying the auto industry.

Independent-Minded Tinkerer Takes on GM's Vital Volt March 3, 2008 USA Today The future of General Motors (GM), at least the most electrifying part of it, rests on the slim shoulders of Frank Weber.

GM Pushes the Pedal on Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Power November 4, 2007 USA Today General Motors says it hopes to begin pumping hundreds of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles a year into ordinary buyers' hands through GM dealerships beginning in 2011. Though small numbers by auto-industry standards, it's the most ambitious public plan yet to bring pollution-free fuel-cell vehicles into the mainstream.

Power Plants are Focus of Drive to Cut Mercury USA Today October 29, 2007 Despite decades of government attempts to regulate it, ban it and erase it from household use, the poisonous metal mercury remains a threat to the environment and public health, especially to children and to women of childbearing age.

EPA Chief Proposes Tougher Ground-Level Pollution Standards for Ozone Washington Post June 22, 2007 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said yesterday that current limits on ozone air pollution do not adequately protect public health as he released a proposed regulation to lower the limit by as much as 20 percent in coming decades. The proposal came under immediate attack by business and industry groups.

Air Quality News