Tell the EPA: Protect Our Respiratory Health from Soot Pollution–Till June 29

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

On April 5, a Harvard study found that the risk of death from COVID-19 is increased by exposure to soot pollution.¹ Just days later, the administration rejected its own scientists’ recommendation to strengthen protections against soot pollution.²

Despite research that shows that tightening standards on soot pollution (also known as particulate matter) in our air could save tens of thousands of lives, the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency has proposed freezing the standards at the current, inadequate levels.

Go to https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=38061 to tell the EPA: Protect our air and our respiratory health from deadly soot pollution.

Particulate matter — fine particles from the burning of coal, oil or wood — has been linked to a variety of health problems, including lung disease, bronchitis and cancer. The current standards that restrict the amount of soot polluters can pump into our air are too lax, with research finding that maintaining the current standard could allow as many as 52,000 deaths per year across 47 urban areas.³

And, as mentioned above, a Harvard study recently found that exposure to soot pollution significantly increases the risk of death from COVID-19. The study indicated that even slightly higher levels of exposure to soot pollution meant significant increases in the COVID-19 death rate.⁴

During this pandemic, clean air is more important to our health than ever. Tell the EPA to rein in soot pollution.

The decision not to strengthen soot standards was made against the recommendations of the EPA’s own staff, who last September concluded that the evidence warranted strengthening the standards.⁵ In fact, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler replaced the expert panel that was to review the research with a smaller team of his own appointees — including industry scientists — which then recommended no change to the current standards.⁶

Fortunately, the public has until June 29 to submit comments on this proposal. Join us in calling on the EPA to reconsider this reckless decision.

1. Xiao Wu and Rachel C. Nethery, “Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: A nationwide cross-sectional study,” Harvard University, April 5, 2020.
2. Emily Holden, “Trump administration declines to stiffen US clean air standards,” The Guardian, April 14, 2020.
3. Emily Holden, “Trump administration declines to stiffen US clean air standards,” The Guardian, April 14, 2020.
4. Xiao Wu and Rachel C. Nethery, “Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: A nationwide cross-sectional study,” Harvard University, April 5, 2020.
5. “Particulate Matter (PM) Standards – Policy Assessments from Current Review,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed April 28, 2020.
6. Emily Holden, “Trump administration declines to stiffen US clean air standards,” The Guardian, April 14, 2020.