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Canada’s Tar Sands Are a Much Larger Source of Air Pollution Than Previously Thought, Study Says

Inside Climate News · By Nicholas Kusnetz · last updated
The research, published in Science, found the oil operations are releasing vast quantities of compounds that can cause localized air pollution and form damaging particles that can travel across the continent.

By Nicholas Kusnetz

Canada’s tar sands have gained infamy for being one of the world’s most polluting sources of oil, thanks to the large amounts of energy and water use required for their extraction. A new study says the operations are also emitting far higher levels of a range of air pollutants than previously known, with implications for communities living nearby and far downwind.

Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions

State of Play

More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts. 

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