Thick smog is blanketing New Delhi after Diwali celebrations with fireworks sent air pollution levels soaring. Revelers burst firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles. By Tuesday morning, air quality in several neighborhoods ranked as severe. Last week, India's top court eased a ban on firecrackers, allowing limited use of "green firecrackers" that emit fewer pollutants. Pollution spikes due to firecrackers are common after Diwali, which coincides with cooler weather and crop residue fires. New Delhi and its metropolitan region — home to more than 30 million people — routinely ranks among the world's most polluted cities during winter.
The Trump administration's move to weaken the U.S. Chemical Safety Board makes it unclear who is going to investigate two recent fuel refinery fires in California. The state of California hasn't said whether any agency, department or authority will take charge of a comprehensive investigation of the cause of last week's fire in El Segundo and another one earlier this year. The Trump administration argues the chemical safety board duplicates responsibilities of other agencies. Environmental groups say it would be better if there were one independent agency overseeing the entire investigation, instead of several agencies handling aspects of the investigation.
Fire crews have extinguished flames at a Chevron refinery just outside of Los Angeles. Officials in El Segundo, California, urged people to stay indoors Thursday night. By early Friday, they said the fire was contained and there was no threat to public safety. No evacuations have been ordered. The company says there were no injuries, all personnel were accounted for and a monitoring system indicated the fire did not move beyond the facility's fence line. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire. El Segundo is a beachside city located about a mile south of Los Angeles International Airport.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill extending the state's cap-and-trade program through 2045. The program sets a declining limit on total planet-warming emissions in the state from major polluters. The new law potentially boosts carbon-removal projects and requires the program to align with California's target of achieving so-called carbon neutrality by 2045. Newsom also signed laws to speed up permitting for oil production in Kern County, refill a fund that covers the cost of wildfire damage when utility equipment sparks a blaze and allow the state's grid operator to partner with a regional group to manage power markets in western states.
