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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report: Wildfire Air Pollution Will Increase in Wyoming

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Thursday, September 8, 2016   

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – As Western states continue to struggle with an increasing number of large scale wildfires and longer fire seasons, a new Yale-Harvard study predicts 82 million people will be exposed to higher levels of air pollution in coming decades.

Report co-author Jia Coco Liu says a changing climate is bringing hotter and drier conditions to the West, a perfect combination for wildfires, and increased health risks from the smoke.

"So, in the future, we estimated that there will be more air pollution episodes from wildfires,” she states. “So, there will be more fine particulates from wildfires that can potentially impact your health."

Liu explains fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke is about 1/20th the diameter of human hair, and can lead to respiratory and heart disease when absorbed by lung tissue.

Researchers studied data from wildfire pollution in more than 500 Western counties from 2004 to 2009, and made projections for a future six-year period ending in 2051.

The study forecasts that 20 currently smoke free counties will experience at least one major wildfire event by 2050, and Liu says Western counties already exposed to pollution are likely to see the length of smoke waves, or consecutive days of pollution increase, by an average of 15 days.

"So, anyone really in the Western U.S. could potentially be affected,” she points out. “So, you have to be aware of the potential impact of wildfire smoke to protect your health and your family."

Liu says she hopes the results will help public health officials prepare for higher air pollution levels, and give fire managers additional information as they face future blazes.






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