The citizen regulators taking on big polluters when the EPA won't

As environmental agencies reel from a Republican-led assault on regulations, local activists are taking up the fight

The headaches, asthma attacks and serious nosebleeds that plagued Diego Mayens as a child in West Long Beach, California were all triggered by one basic activity - playing outdoors. He suspects the foul emissions from nearby refineries and other heavy industry were behind his problems.

It had to do a lot with the air quality in the area," Mayens told the Guardian. I feel particularly bad seeing kids playing outside and people who live here walking around who might not know what they're breathing in."