Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, (917) 887-0146
Washington, DC—Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan announced the finalization of new National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution, also known as PM2.5 or soot. In response to the proposal, Moms Clean Air Force Arizona Field Organizer Hazel Chandler released the following statement:
“Particle pollution is a killer. Here in Arizona, researchers estimate that particle pollution cuts short well over 3,000 lives per year—a staggering toll for Arizona families and communities. Children’s bodies are uniquely vulnerable to the harms of soot pollution. We commend EPA for taking a significant step forward in strengthening the annual standard for particle pollution, also known as soot, to 9 micrograms per cubic meter from its current level at 12. EPA’s strengthened national health standard for particle pollution is the first improvement in over a decade. Soot is associated with increased infant mortality, hospital admissions for heart and lung diseases, cancer, and increased asthma severity. EPA’s finalized protection is a welcome step towards cleaner, healthier air for all children.
“Nearly 70% of Arizona residents live in counties receiving failing grades for particle pollution, and every day, it impacts our health and threatens our quality of life. The impacts of unhealthy air are personal to me: I am a mother, grandmother, and recently became a great-grandmother, and I live every day with health issues that are made worse by particle pollution. I have asthma, respiratory issues, chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and stage four cancer. I have lived in cities with failing grades for air pollution for most of my adult life.
“Taken together, all of the EPA protections under Administrator Regan’s tenure are offering much-needed and significant progress. EPA’s recent methane rule will dramatically slash climate-heating methane pollution–and protect people from the harmful volatile organic compounds and toxics released along with methane. Stronger pollution protections for vehicles and power plants are anticipated in the coming months. So much is at stake for our children, our communities, and our collective future. Members of Moms Clean Air Force will continue to demand that every one of these critical EPA protections gets across the finish line. We have absolutely no time to lose.”