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March 07, 2006
The American Lung Association Urges Stronger Air Pollution Health Standards and We Need Your Help
Each week I like to pick a lung-health topic that’s been covered in the news with the hope that I can answer some of your questions. This week, I’m asking for your help.
On December 20, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new limits on how much particle pollution can be in outdoor air. Unfortunately, despite a strong scientific consensus that both the annual and daily limits on particle pollution need to be tighter to protect public health, EPA failed to propose adequate standards. EPA’s independent outside scientific review panel and the EPA's own staff scientists have proposed tightening both standards. EPA Administrator Johnson overrode these recommendations and proposed a standard weaker than those recommended. The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set these air pollution standards at levels that protect public health. The health science clearly shows that the current federal limits on particle pollution are set too high, allowing air pollution that leads to the premature deaths of thousands of Americans each year. The EPA proposal will leave millions of Americans unprotected and will lead to thousands of premature deaths. EPA will announce its final decision on those standards by September 27, 2006.
If EPA's proposals are adopted, tens of thousands of people who could have been protected will die prematurely. Polluters are blaming these deaths on anything but their pollution, even denying the evidence of thousands of studies because they don't want to have to clean up.
Tens of thousands of Lung Association volunteers and advocates sent messages to Administrator Johnson telling him to set the standards where they really can protect public health. You, too, can join in our e-advocacy network and help clean up the air we all breathe – click here to sign up! Thank you for your help.
Posted by lungblogposter at March 7, 2006 07:56 AM
Comments
Thanks for your informative blog. I've become aware of acquaintences in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, who never smoked, and have lung cancer. One is a healthy-looking woman, 45, excercises daily, and eats well...I'm hearing about more and more women that are getting lung cancer in L.A., that fact, along with traffic, makes me want to move to a place with clean air. I'm actively seeking clean air in a new place, probably outside of California. I'm blogging about my experience and what I learn. Finding your blog is part of my research. I'll recommend your site to my readers, and to write the EPA for tougher particle standards. It's scary to know breathing the air is dangerous, and companies polluting our air and those that regulate them don't care enough. I don't know why everyone isn't up in arms about this. I think many take breathing air for granted, as if it's safe.
Thanks for your informative blog!
Posted by: Donna at March 27, 2006 08:57 AM
