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, EcoMadres Nevada Field Organizer Mercedes McKinley released the following statement:
“Particle pollution is a killer. Here in Nevada, researchers estimate that particle pollution cuts short well over 1,000 lives per year—a staggering toll for Nevada 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.
“Right now, people of color in Nevada are consistently exposed to higher levels of particle pollution from sources like power plants, industrial facilities, and heavily-trafficked roads than white people. This is personal for me. Ever since my family and I arrived from El Salvador in 1987 to Las Vegas NV, we have lived in immigrant communities that are disproportionately impacted by unhealthy air. I recently lived in a house with my two-year-old daughter and elderly mother located close to highway US95/I515, a heavily-trafficked road that serves as one of the main corridors from Nevada to Arizona. Our home air filters had to be replaced monthly instead of every 3 months. Soot and other particles would build up and if we didn’t wipe it down, a black film would form on the grills of the air vents. Stronger soot protections are critical for families and communities like mine.
“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.”