A new investigation by ProPublica reveals alarming levels of cancer risk linked to air pollution from industrial facilities across the US.

• ProPublica analyzed 5 years of data and identified over 1,000 areas designated as “toxic hot spots.”
• The EPA collects data on industrial emissions but hasn’t made it public in a way that allows people to assess their own cancer risk.
• ProPublica’s analysis suggests that over 250,000 people in these hot spots may be exposed to unacceptable cancer risks according to EPA’s own guidelines.
• While the EPA’s acceptable risk threshold is 1 in 10,000, ideally, the aim is for much lower risk (1 in a million).
• The identified areas have a cancer risk exceeding 1 in 100,000, which is 10 times lower than the EPA threshold but still concerning for experts.

Read more at the ProPublica website.