NEW YORK, Sep 13, 2006 -- U.S. Newswire

 

More than 77 million Americans could be left vulnerable to deadly particle pollution if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) follows through with a proposal to set weak public health standards for the pollutant, according to a new American Lung Association report.

By contrast, stronger new pollution standards supported by the Lung Association and other major medical and public health groups would protect 159 million people, the report concludes.

The report, Clean Air Decision 2006, was released as the EPA is about to announce a final decision on national air quality standards for particle pollution (soot), the most lethal of all air pollutants. It is produced by coal burning power plants, trucks, trains, traffic and other smokestack industries. EPA is under a court order to announce its new standards by Sept. 27.

"This is the most important public health decision the EPA will make this year," noted John L. Kirkwood, president and chief executive officer of the American Lung Association. "The EPA has a clear choice: Endorse strong new standards that fully protect Americans from this deadly pollutant, or side with polluting industries and consign our citizens to years of choking pollution. We hope the EPA will make its decision based on science, not politics."

Kirkwood explained that the public health standards "are the heart and lungs of the Clean Air Act." They define the levels of air pollution that are safe for people to breathe. Every community in the nation must meet those standards through specific pollution cleanup programs such as controls on electric power plants.

The EPA last revised the particle standards in 1997. Since then, more than 2,000 peer-reviewed studies have been published on the health effects of particle pollution. They not only confirm earlier research that showed exposure to particle pollution causes sickness, hospital admissions and premature death, but that harm occurs even when pollution levels are well below current standards. People most vulnerable to particle pollution include children, senior citizens, and people with asthma, heart disease and diabetes.

For a copy of the full Clean Air Decision 2006 report, go to: http://www.lungusa.org 

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