About 117 million Americans live in areas with smoggy air, according to a report released yesterday by the Clean Air Network, a coalition of environmental and public health groups. The report found that more than half of the nearly 600 counties in the U.S. that fully monitor air quality are above the legal limit for ozone pollution. The Clean Air Network is urging federal and state governments to crack down on pollution from coal-fired power plants and diesel trucks and buses. Meanwhile, the House voted last night to block the EPA from identifying regions with high smog levels, aiming to prevent federal regulators from enforcing tough new clean air rules. The measure, part of a renewed congressional attack on the EPA, is a rider on a spending bill.
