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Statement: ‘EPA’s new standards fail to protect the health of the public’
Statement from John L. Kirkwood
President and CEO
American Lung Association
NEW YORK September 21, 2006. We are extremely disappointed with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter pollution announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Unfortunately, EPA’s standards fail to protect the health of the public, despite the requirement in the Clean Air Act that they must. Overwhelming evidence shows that millions of people suffer unnecessarily – even face an earlier death – because they breathe this pollution. EPA could have – should have – done better. The American Lung Association recommended much more protective fine particle standards, an annual standard of 12 µg/m3 and a daily standard of 25 µg/m3.
Particulate matter remains a threat to public health. Those most at risk are members of all of our families: our children; our seniors; those with asthma, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other lung diseases; those with stroke and heart diseases; and those with diabetes. They face increased risk of dying early, having severe asthma attacks, heart attacks, stroke, and lung cancer.
While almost any improvement in the weak 1997 standards is better than nothing, EPA’s modest revisions cannot be justified. The EPA chose not to tighten the annual PM 2.5 standard, 15 µg/m3 and the 24-hour standard was only lowered to 35 µg/m3. Thousands of studies – most funded by EPA itself – unmistakably demonstrate that particulate matter is a dangerous air pollutant, endangering life and health at levels well below those announced by EPA today. We are not alone in that conclusion: an unprecedented array of scientists, physicians, state and local government leaders, and organizations joined the American Lung Association to tell EPA these standards were not acceptable, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Thoracic Society and the American Public Health Association. Even EPA’s own staff scientists and independent scientific advisors all recommended stronger standards than the ones announced today.
National air quality standards matter. The standards tell us when the air is officially safe to breathe. The standards are the goals that each county and state must meet, and therefore they drive nearly every effort nationwide to clean up air pollution.
EPA has failed to do what Congress and the American public charged them to do. Each of us should demand clean air and ask our elected officials to tell EPA to correct this erroneous decision.
About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungusa.org.
Date Created: 9/21/2006 12:01:17 PM
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