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In Depth Articles

Stormwater Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution
Report

A report documenting some of the most effective strategies being employed by communities around the country to control urban runoff pollution, which is among the top sources of water contamination today. The collection of 100 case studies is intended to serve as a guide for local decisionmakers, municipal officials, and environmental activists; it is also a resource for citizens concerned about the quality of their local environment. Also available: a CD ROM version that includes color photographs and new case studies on "low-impact development" solutions.

Driving on Fumes
Policy Papers

Diesel pollution is well known to be hazardous to human health. Groups at particular risk include workers in diesel industries, such as trucking and rail, and communities located near major sources of diesel pollution, such as ports and freeways. This December 2007 issue paper summarizes the alarming findings of one of the first investigations to measure drivers' exposure levels to diesel soot inside trucks serving our nation's ports.

Miles to California, How Far Has Your Food Traveled?
Index

People are rediscovering the benefits of buying local food. How your food is grown, stored, transported, processed and cooked can all influence how it affects climate and the environment. Transportation-related impacts are particularly important for imported foods. NRDC calculated the transportation impacts of importing fresh produce and wine widely consumed in California, directly comparing the climate and air quality emissions from importing these foods instead of growing and consuming them in California. Our analysis shows that -- all else being equal -- locally grown foods are a better choice.

Sneezing and Wheezing
Policy Papers

Global warming isn't just making our planet hotter. Scientific studies have also shown that our changing climate could mean more ozone pollution in some areas and intensify the health problems stemming from allergenic pollen such as ragweed. This is bad news for allergy sufferers and asthmatics because both ragweed and ozone have been linked to respiratory problems such as asthma and to allergic symptoms in adults and children -- and studies show that people exposed to both ragweed and ozone are likely to become sicker than people exposed to just one of these pollutants. New NRDC research -- the first to map areas within the United States where ragweed and unhealthy ozone pollution overlap -- shows that 110 million Americans live in areas with both ragweed and ozone problems.

Coal Is Hazardous to Your Health
Index

Burning coal releases enormous amounts of harmful pollutants into the air and water, with serious health consequences. Waste generated by coal-fired power plants contains hazardous pollutants that can contaminate our drinking water and cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive problems. This index of fact sheets describes the health hazards of our continued reliance on coal.

Katrina’s Wake: Arsenic-Laced Schools and Playgrounds Put New Orleans Children at Risk
Policy Papers

When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans in August 2005, the levee failures inundated the city -- particularly its most vulnerable neighborhoods -- with a hazardous sea of fuel, sewage and chemicals. Two years after the storm, a team of researchers from NRDC, working in partnership with local community groups, has found that hazardous levels of arsenic are still present in the soil at several locations in New Orleans -- including schools, playgrounds and residential areas. This August 2007 issue paper reveals that people in New Orleans are still returning home to communities that have not been adequately cleaned up, and offers solutions on a federal and local level for charting a safer course for New Orleans.

Lost and Found: Missing mercury from chemical plants pollutes air and water
Policy Papers

Mercury is an invisible, odorless poison that can pollute oceans and rivers, contaminate our food and seep into the air, potentially causing severe health problems when ingested by humans. A major source of this pollution is chlor-alkali chemical manufacturing plants. Not only do these plants release harmful mercury into the environment, but they also cannot account for tons of mercury "lost" each year -- mercury which likely ends up in the air we breathe. This April 2006 NRDC issue paper reveals new sampling evidence that mercury emissions near the nation’s oldest and most polluting plants sometimes exceed government safe levels for chronic exposure, raising concerns for the health of residents who live near facilities in Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana.

New Orleans Environmental Quality Test Results
Analysis

Results of NRDC's monitoring for mold, contaminated soil, particulates and other substances of health concern in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina.

EPA's Proposed Policy on Sewage Dumping During Wet Weather Conditions
Testimony

The proposed policy will worsen water quality, expose the public to greater risk of illness and death from waterborne pathogens and toxic chemicals, and adversely affect the economy.

Smoke Out: Three Measures for Cleaning Up Diesel Air Pollution in New York City
Policy Papers

This April 2005 NRDC paper outlines the current health threat posed by diesel-powered trucks, buses and construction equipment in New York City, and recommends three critical measures for how the city council, Bloomberg administration, MTA bus fleets, state legislature and Governor Pataki can clean up the city’s diesel pollution problem.

Cleaning Up Today's Dirty Diesels
Policy Papers

Stringent new federal standards for diesel fuel and emissions will provide significant health benefits. But these benefits will not be fully realized for 20 years unless effective programs are put in place to replace and retrofit today's fleets of dirty diesel vehicles. The most effective such programs will concentrate on urban areas, where people are exposed to more vehicle pollution, and on cleaning up the oldest, dirtiest vehicles first. This November 2004 NRDC issue paper details compelling arguments for instituting retrofit and replacement policies today and provides a roadmap for getting started.

Pollution Unchecked: A Case Study of Greene County, Pennsylvania
Report

Southwestern Pennsylvania's Greene County suffers from serious air and water pollution, and cancer rates in this predominantly low-income Appalachian community are substantially higher than state and national averages. This December 2004 report details the results of NRDC's investigation into the county's pollution problems, and finds that despite the obvious health risks county residents face, state and federal officials have repeatedly allowed inadequate monitoring of air and water pollution and have made no significant effort to collect data on possible health effects linked to pollution in Greene County.

Hidden Danger
Report

Pollution in the United States poses health risks for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or country of origin. A large percentage of U.S. Latinos, however, live and work in urban and agricultural areas where they face heightened danger of exposure to air pollution, unsafe drinking water, pesticides, and lead and mercury contamination. These hazards can cause serious health problems, including an increased risk of asthma and cancer; waterborne diseases such as giardiasis, hepatitis, and cholera; and neurological and developmental problems. This October 2004 NRDC report underscores the urgent need for government action on these environmental health threats.

Harboring Pollution: Strategies to Clean Up U.S. Ports
Report

U.S. seaports are the largest and most poorly regulated sources of urban pollution in the country. This August 2004 report by NRDC and the Coalition for Clean Air provides practical strategies and policies for port operators, regulatory agencies, and community-based organizations to reduce health-endangering air and water pollution, noise and light pollution that disrupts communities near ports, and harm to marine habitats. The report also provides information on the health effects of pollution from ports and a comprehensive overview of policies governing U.S. marine ports. A companion report, Harboring Pollution: The Dirty Truth about U.S. Ports, grades the activities of the ten largest U.S. ports in the areas of air and water quality, land use, and community relations.

Swimming in Sewage
Report

This February 2004 report from NRDC and the Environmental Integrity Project describes the emerging environmental and public health crisis resulting from our nation's failure to effectively treat sewage, presents seven case studies from around the country that illustrate how exposure to sewage pollution has killed or seriously injured people and harmed local economies, and recommends solutions to America's sewage problem.

Out of the Gutter: Reducing Polluted Runoff in the District of Columbia
Report

Every time it rains, Washington, D.C. -- like most major cities -- is plagued by stormwater runoff, which has gravely contaminated the city's three major rivers (the Potomac, the Anacostia, and Rock Creek). To clean up the pollution, the city's Water and Sewer Authority is relying on conventional stormwater management practices, which are costly and outdated. In this July 2002 report, NRDC recommends instead that WASA adopt an approach called low-impact development, which would use "green" roofs, strategically placed beds of native plants, rain barrels, and other measures to soak up rain and prevent it from washing directly into waterways. NRDC is also urging the local government and WASA to restructure the city's flat stormwater fee, protect environmentally sensitive lands, restore the urban forest, and encourage water conservation and water reuse techniques.

The Environmental Impacts of the World Trade Center Attacks
Report

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, perhaps the worst episode in the history of New York City, also created a significant environmental health emergency. This February 2002 report lays out the facts, as best as we know them at this point, regarding both the environmental impacts of the attacks and the response of government officials to the ensuing environmental emergency. It also sets forth recommendations for improving New York's readiness for future environmental health emergencies.

Cesspools of Shame
Report

This July 2001 report from NRDC and the Clean Water Network documents how animal waste from factory farms threatens human health and our nation's rivers. Most factory farms store animal waste in open lagoons as large as several football fields. Lagoons routinely burst, sending millions of gallons of manure into waterways and spreading microbes that can cause gastroenteritis, fevers, kidney failure, and death. This report lists the track records of the largest polluters and recommends existing technology that is safer and more sustainable.

Poisons on Pets: Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products
Report

This report highlights the potential health hazards to humans and pets from flea collars and other flea and tick control products. The report recommends that the EPA ban the use of an entire class of these products -- those using organophosphates. It also offers recommendations for pet owners on combating fleas and ticks with a variety of simple non-chemical steps and/or by applying safer products, including insect growth regulators.

Endocrine Disruption: An Overview and Resource List
Technical Brief

This paper provides an introductory explanation of the ways in which synthetic chemicals in the environment can interfere with the natural hormonal systems of humans and other living things. It also describes the implications of and approaches to addressing the problem, and provides extensive print and online reference listings.

Exhausted by Diesel: How America's Dependence on Diesel Engines Threatens Our Health
Report

This report describes the impacts of diesel exhaust on human health, makes recommendations and includes success stories about alternatives to diesel fuel.

Breath-taking
Report

Excerpts from a groundbreaking May 1996 NRDC report on premature mortality due to particulate air pollution in 239 American cities.

See the NRDC Policy Solutions section for more expert analysis of environmental issues. You may also wish to view the working materials in the NRDC Document Bank