Brian Willis: 202.675.2386, Brian.Willis@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, a coalition of environmental and public health groups fought back against the Trump Administration’s first attempts to roll back basic public health protections against smog pollution. The groups filed an opposition brief in the D.C. Circuit Court to stop Donald Trump’s EPA Administrator from delaying a hearing on the legality of EPA’s 2015 smog standards. The EPA’s request to delay oral arguments immediately sparked outrage from environmental and public health groups because the delay could be used to stall stronger health protections and as a stepping stone to dismantle the clean air safeguards.
By delaying oral arguments, the Trump Administration’s EPA could seek to “review” the stronger clean air protections and decide not to defend them in court, setting up a scenario where their implementation could be delayed. In October of 2015, the EPA strengthened the nationwide smog pollution standard from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion (ppb) after 9 years of scientific review and expert testimony from scientists, medical experts, and public health advocates. The ever-growing body of scientific literature demonstrated the significant harm the 75 ppb standard posed to public health, particularly to vulnerable populations like children, seniors, and people with respiratory illnesses like asthma.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), inhaling smog pollution is like getting a sunburn on your lungs and often results in immediate trouble breathing. Long-term exposure to smog pollution is linked to chronic respiratory conditions like asthma attacks, and reproductive and developmental disorders. It also disproportionately harms low-income communities and communities of color, who are more likely to live close to sources of pollution and have lower levels of access to medical resources and health insurance.
In response to the Trump Administration’s request, Mary Anne Hitt, Director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, released the following statement:
“It’s horrifying that the Trump Administration is considering repealing vital clean air protections that will save lives and protect our communities. Strong smog standards mean fewer children in the hospital with asthma attacks, fewer heart troubles for seniors, and relief from mounting medical bills for working families.
“Our current smog standards are based on an exhaustive review of the latest medical science that shows that weakening them would put the health of millions of Americans in danger. This is quite simply an effort to put the profits of polluters before the health of our families. That’s why we will use every avenue that we have to protect our children and our communities from the Trump Administration’s efforts to ignore science and put them at risk.”