People in the Coachella Valley, breathe some of the nation’s unhealthiest concentrations of a pollutant known as PM10 — particles of dust small enough to inhale.
Why it’s an issue now: Local leaders and residents say more dust is covering cars and driveways, and even surfaces inside their homes. The particles exceed federal health limits, mostly when they are stirred up on windy days, and come from a variety of sources, including unpaved roads, construction sites, fallow farm fields and the dried-up Salton Sea. They’re asking why more isn’t being done to improve air quality.
