FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2010
Contact:
Virginia Cramer, 804-225-9113 x 102
EPA Delays Clean Air Standard
Public Health Remains at Risk
Washington, DC: The Environmental Protection Agency today announced that important new protections from ozone, or smog, pollution will not be issued as planned. Despite the urgent health risk the agency has asked for a delay until July of 2011.
In response Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement.
"Every day that this rule is delayed people are literally dying. More delay means more asthma attacks, more hospital visits, and more missed work days.
"It is widely accepted that smog poses a serious health risk, causing everything from permanent lung damage to premature death. Both scientists and numerous health groups have made it clear that better protections are needed to save lives and protect the health of all Americans. Earlier this year EPA proposed new protections that finally followed the recommendations of these experts, and more than 1,700 scientific studies.
"All that remains now is for the Obama Administration's EPA to finalize the strongest protections possible. There is no reason to delay and every reason not to. The oil and coal industries are looking out for their bottom lines. Who is looking out for the American people? It should be the EPA and they should act quickly to make sure all of our families have clean air to breathe."
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