Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, [email protected], (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 Michigan Field Organizer Elizabeth Hauptman released the following statement:
“Particle pollution is a killer. Here in Michigan, researchers estimate that particle pollution cuts short more than 17,000 lives per year—a staggering toll for Michigan 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.
“Like tens of thousands of Michigan children, my son has asthma. Exposure to particle pollution can trigger frightening asthma attacks: on days when the air quality is poor, my son’s asthma is front and center for our entire family. We always need to remember to bring his inhaler wherever we go, and when his inhaler is not effective, we need to use his nebulizer. After summer camps, outdoor basketball games, swim meets, and family gatherings in the past few years, during some of the hottest and worst air quality days, we have rushed home for his nebulizer treatments. My son misses out on sporting events, camps, and other fun activities on hot summer days when the air quality is poor.
“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.”