Date : Fri, 8 May 2015 16:52:42 -0400
For Immediate Release
May 8, 2015
Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
First Bad Air Day- Shows we still have Air Pollution Problems
Today an air quality alert has been issued for New Jersey warning residents that the air may be unhealthy to breathe. This means there are high ozone levels across the state putting sensitive individuals at risk. Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, and Union counties are reported to have the worst levels up until 11PM tonight. Usually we don’t see these days until mid-June, but this is one of the earliest. With this hot weather staying around, we could see many more alerts for the next week. If we have a hot summer, we will see many more. Ground level ozone is one of the worst air pollutants with one of the sources being car emissions. Air pollution can cause asthma attacks and put people with heart problems, lung problems or children at risk. Year after year the Christie Administration’s policies have been harming our air. The DEP has opposed the EPA new climate rules and does not want to participate in the reduction standards. The Administration has allowed a proposal for New Jersey Transit to increase fares and make service cuts to public transportation, which would put more cars on the road and pollution in our air.
“ This is one of the earliest Air Quality Days we’ve seen in very a long time. This alert makes us realize that our air is still very dirty. It is on days like today you realize how serious air pollution still is as a health threat. Even though we made progress over the years we still have a long way to go. The biggest threat today is from particulates from coal plants that make ground level ozone worse as well as other sources like automobiles. We still have some of the worse air in the nation. With days like today if you are an at risk person whether you have respiratory problems, asthma, or are a child, you know firsthand how bad the air is,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of The New Jersey Sierra Club.
Last month, the State of the Air report was released by the American Lung Association. It states that 4 out of 10 people in the United States do not have healthy levels of ozone (smog) or particle (soot) pollution. In New Jersey, the levels are dangerous for smog and ozone. The report examines air pollution levels and shows the need to defend the Clean Air Act.
The Governor’s failed policies on curbing climate change and renewable energy show on days like today. Governor Christie closed the DEP’s Office of Climate Change, pulled the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and doesn’t believe in the science of climate change. In 2012, the administration backed out of the ground level ozone lawsuit that affected the health of children, people with asthma, elderly, and those with repository illnesses. It not only has significant health impacts, but it is an irritant for people at risk it which can actually cause asthma attacks sending people to the hospitals. It is also linked to premature death through heart attacks or asthma attacks. Areas across the country with high levels of zone have 30% higher rate of death from lung disease. The main sources are from industrial plants and cars. With New Jersey having some of the worst air quality in the nation Governor Christie should be working to protect our health and our lungs instead of siding with polluters and Big Oil.
“New Jersey’s air fails when it comes to ozone levels and impacts every county in the state. Almost every county that conducts monitoring has a failing grade. One thing the Christie Administration does not want you to be aware of is their failing grade when it comes to air quality. The administration has weakened protections in inspections, allows polluters to write their own rules, failed to move forward on reducing air pollution and climate impacts, privatized air permits, blocked offshore wind, and pulled out of RGGI, all which would make our air better. One of the biggest pollution problems we face in New Jersey is from trucks and buses. This administration has blocked attempts to promote electric vehicles and charging stations and has even cut services and raised fares on transit,” said Jeff Tittel. “Our air is unhealthy and the administration’s record on air has been unhealthy to our lungs.”
With all of Governor Christie’s policies and environmental weakening including raiding clean energy money, cutting back on our solar program, pulling out of RGGI, widening the Turnpike and Parkway, building Xanadu, and delaying the Sulfur Rule all of which in the long term will give us more air pollution. The Governor Christie has put our air quality at risk before back in November the Governor decided not to join other northeastern states in Kansas v. EPA a lawsuit which challenges the proposed Cross State air Pollution Rule. The EPA’s Cross State Pollution rule helps protect air quality in downwind states by limiting the amount of pollution that can be produced in other states. Governor Christie needs to stop playing to national political interests and polluters and stand up for New Jersey’s residents and our air quality.
“As the summers get hotter, we will see more smog, soot, and particulates. The administration says pollution most of our pollution comes from out of state but they oppose policies like the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Clean Power Plan and the Mercury Air Toxic Rule. These policies would help reduce pollution in New Jersey, but significantly reduce pollution in other states,” said Jeff Tittel. “One of the biggest sources of ozone is from automobiles and exhaust. On Ozone Action Days we need to take action to reduce air pollution. On days like today they tell children to limit activity, but what we need is to limit pollution.”
Coal-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of pollution in the country emitting thousands of pounds of toxic mercury and air toxic pollution every year. The EPA Clean Power Plan will help to reduce these dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Plan requires states to put in place their own plan to reduce emission. We are going to need Governor Christie to protect the around 530 people in New Jersey who die each year from coal related deaths. In addition to the 445 hospitalizations and 987 heart attacks in New Jersey from coal plants. Successfully were able to close the Portland Plant in Pennsylvania and the BL England Plant has been converted to natural gas however, we still have Hudson and Mercer Generating Stations polluting our state. The Administration needs to move away from fossil fuels and move towards clean energy. Clean air is an essential part of a healthy economy. It will not only reduce health costs and sick days for the residents of New Jersey, but investing in renewable will create jobs and protect our environment.
Backing out of the ground level ozone lawsuit is affecting the health of children, people with asthma, elderly, and those with repository illnesses. It not only has significant health impacts, but it is an irritant for people at risk it which can actually cause asthma attacks sending people to the hospitals. It is also linked to premature death through heart attacks or asthma attacks. Areas across the country with high levels of zone have 30% higher rate of death from lung disease.
“Today when air pollution hits you right in the lungs you realize we need to make changes to clean up our air. We need to close coal plants whether they are out of state or here in New Jersey. These plants needed to be closed and change to renewable. We need to have cleaner burning vehicles and higher fuel efficiency. More important is moving towards electric plug-ins and other clean vehicles. Governor Christie policies of building new gas fired power plants, pulling out of RGGI, on days like today when makes it tougher for all of us breathe,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
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Toni Granato Administrative Assistant New Jersey Sierra Club office:(609) 656-7612 https://www.facebook.com/NJSierraClub