In a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists find long-term exposure to fine particle pollution to be associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death.  This particular study compared exposures of nearly 2,000 older women in 36 urban areas to find also that intra-city differences in risk exceeded inter-city differences.  In a separate editorial, the NEJM editors advocate tighter regulation and controls: 

The Port of Houston Authority has renewed its commitment to participate in the EPA's Performance Track program, according to an EPA press release dated November 20, 2006.

"The Port of Houston Authority charted a new path for others to follow when it became the first port in the nation to join Performance Track three years ago," said Richard E. Greene, EPA Regional Administrator.

The press release gushes on about the port's commitment "to implement environmentally beneficial practices that go beyond state and federal regulatory requirements."