It was a long time ago, so my memory is not too clear, but I remember the dead trees around the plant.  Although I remember it being more of a Urea plant issue.  A lot has changed in regulations between the 70's and today. The EPA has done some good things over the years.  However, the EPA has moved into regulating into nonsense areas, that have great cost and very little benefit.  This issue of sniffing valves for small leaks seems like it might be one of them.  Research "hormegeddon".

As far as climate change, fossil fuels will be burned because there is no energy source that even comes close on EROEI.  If any group of people decides to reduce there use of fossil fuels, that group will just fade from relevance on the global scene, to be replaced by those that burn the fossil fuels in their steed.  If that means that the word warms, well, go long tank tops and shorts; and maybe crop land in northern Canada or Russia.  It is just reality, and people will have to deal with it.