On April 27, 2013, thick, black smoke rose high above southwest Detroit from the flames at a nearby industrial facility. Three thousand residents were then ordered to leave their homes and evacuate the area. These residents are no stranger to poor air quality as their neighbors include a coal-fired power plant, a car factory, a water waste management plant, and the Marathon Ashland Petroleum oil refinery, one of 150 oil refineries in the country.

Cherise Udell, founder of Utah Moms for Clean Air, describes why, despite efforts to make change happen, fixing the air pollution problem is a herculean task.

On July 6, 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed in the town of Lac-Megantic, resulting in a fiery explosion that decimated the town and killed 47 people.