After 50 years under the Clean Air Act, the nation has made significant strides in cleaning up harmful air pollution. However, this year’s report shows that many communities are still waiting for healthy air, and that climate change poses current and growing threats to the nation’s progress. Fully implementing and enforcing the Clean Air Act and addressing climate change requires a strong, coordinated effort on the part of our federal, state, tribal and local leaders, and the need is more urgent than ever.
Unfortunately, in almost every case, the current Administration has continued to attempt to roll back, weaken, or undermine core healthy air protections under the Clean Air Act. Not only has this Administration targeted specific Clean Air Act safeguards for rollbacks, it has also sought to weaken EPA’s ability to set future protections. Many of the rollbacks are not yet final and face challenges in court. However, the impacts of some of this Administration’s actions could be felt for years to come.
At the same time as the Administration is halting progress or even moving backward on addressing climate change, many members of the U.S. Congress have worked to advance policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This critical work presents real opportunities for cleaning up air pollution and improving lung health. However, some climate proposals actually include provisions that would weaken the Clean Air Act, a tradeoff that could lead to more health harm from air pollution.
Below are key threats and opportunities for the nation’s progress toward cleaner, healthier air, plus ways that you can help.
- Memo from Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator, Re: Back-to-Basics Process for Reviewing National Ambient Air Quality Standards, May 9, 2018.
- Memo from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Subject: Strengthening and Improving Membership on EPA Federal Advisory Committees. October 31, 2017.
- The testimony took place at the December 12, 2018 meeting of the Chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Public Meeting on Particulate Matter. All testimony is posted on that site.
- Letter to Tony Cox, Chair Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee from H. Christopher Frey, Jonathan M. Samet, et al. RE: CASAC Advice on the EPA's Integrated Review Plan for the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (External Review Draft). November 26, 2018.
- Letter from health and medical organizations opposing EPA's proposed SAFE rule. https://www.lung.org/getmedia/7bcf3cd4-1d8b-4dfa-9acb-77d470e8654c/letter-from-health-orgs-cars.pdf.pdf
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2016. Washington, DC: U.S. EPA, 2017. Accessed at https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#electricity .
- Driscoll C, Buonocore J, Levy J, Lambert K, et al. 2015 US power plant carbon standards and clean air and health co-benefits. Nature Climate Change 5: 525-540. Schwartz J, Buonocore J, Levy J, Driscoll C, Fallon Lambert K, and Reid S. Health Co-Benefits of Carbon Standard for existing Power Plants: Part 2 of the Co-Benefits of Carbon Standards Study. September 30, 2014. Harvard School of Public Health, Syracuse University, Boston University. Available at Health Co-Benefits of Carbon Standards for Existing Power Plants.
- These comments are available at http://www.lung.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate/advocacy-archive.html.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Case # 19-1140. American Lung Association, et al. v. EPA. - U.S. EPA. Proposed Improvements 2016 New Source Performance Standards, September 11, 2018.
- Letter from More than 660 Health Professionals in support of Existing Methane Standard. https://www.lung.org/getmedia/3cdda4b9-4e2f-4697-bd02-b4e2ab302d9a/letter-from-more-than-660.pdf.pdf
- U.S. EPA. Draft Guidance: Revised Policy on Exclusions from "Ambient Air." November 2018.
- U.S. EPA. News Release: Reducing Regulatory Burdens: EPA withdraws "once in always in" policy for major sources under Clean Air Act. January 25, 2018.
Did You Know?
- Nearly 5 out of 10 people live where the air they breathe earned an F in State of the Air 2020.
- 150 million people live in counties that received an F for either ozone or particle pollution in State of the Air 2020.
- More than 20.8 million people live in counties that got an F for all three air pollution measures in State of the Air 2020.
- Breathing ozone irritates the lungs, resulting in something like a bad sunburn within the lungs.
- Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
- Particle pollution can also cause early death and heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits for people with asthma and cardiovascular disease.
- Particles are smaller than 1/30th the diameter of a human hair. When you inhale them, they are small enough to get past the body's natural defenses.
- Ozone and particle pollution are both linked to increased risk of lower birth weight in newborns.
- Do you live near, or work on or near a busy highway? Pollution from the traffic may put you at greater risk of harm.
- People who work or exercise outside face increased risk from the effects of air pollution.
- Millions of people are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, including infants, older adults and people with lung diseases like asthma.
- People of color and those earning lower incomes are often disproportionately affected by air pollution that put them at higher risk for illnesses.
- Air pollution is a serious health threat. It can trigger asthma attacks, harm lung development in children, and can even be deadly.
- You can protect your family by checking the air quality forecasts in your community and avoiding exercising or working outdoors when the unhealthy air is expected.
- Climate change enhances conditions for ozone to form and makes it harder to keep ozone from forming.
- Climate change increases the risk of wildfires that spread particle pollution and ozone in the smoke.
- This Administration is trying to roll back or create loopholes in core healthy air protections under the Clean Air Act. The Lung Association opposes these actions that will add pollution to the air we breathe.
- Cutting air pollution through the Clean Air Act will prevent at least 230,000 deaths and save $2 trillion annually by 2020.