Extreme Heat and Air Rule Delays Exacerbate Deadly Exposures

Extreme heat fueled by climate change is boiling swaths of the US, worsening exposure to toxic air pollution while key emissions regulations remain tied up in legal battles.

Temperatures continue to reach record-breaking levels in what scientists say was the hottest July in recent memory. The stifling heat also plays a big role in worsening air pollution nationwide, especially ozone, which relies on heat to proliferate.

“It is a perfect storm in that way,” according to John Balbus, acting director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Rules to mitigate ...