Lauren Lantry, Lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
On Tuesday, the same evening Trump claimed the US has the “cleanest air and water” at a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida, the AP reported that U.S. air quality is deteriorating after years of improvement. The decrease in air quality comes as Trump rolls back two of the US’ biggest defenses of clean air and a safe climate: the Clean Power Plan, replaced yesterday with the “Dirty Power Scam” and the clean car standards. Notably, the main architects of the rollbacks from EPA and NHTSA’s political leadership are about to face a congressional hearing.
Here’s the damage Trump’s Dirty Power Plan will do according to the EPA’s previous calculations:
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as many as 1,400 additional deaths due to increased soot pollution,
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up to 230 additional deaths due to increased smog,
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120,000 additional asthma attacks, 390,000 more restricted-activity days for children,
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more than 100,000 more missed school and work days,
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and over 750 additional heart attacks per year.
Putting more polluting cars on America’s roads hurts us all – threatening the health of our most vulnerable communities, especially children, the elderly, communities of color, low-income communities, and those already suffering from negative pollution and climate change impacts. Here’s the damage Trump’s rollback to the clean car standards will do:
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Puts the more than four in 10 Americans -- approximately 43.3 percent of the population -- who live in counties that have monitored unhealthy ozone and/or particle pollution, at increased health risk.
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Threatens the health of the over 26 million Americans who suffer from asthma.
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The administration’s own analysis shows that extra pollution resulting from the clean cars rollback would cause up to 299 premature deaths per year by 2050
In response Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:
“Trump’s claims of clean air and clean water are nothing more than greenhouse gaslighting. From the rollback of the Clean Power Plan to the rollback of the Clean Car Standards, Trump is putting thousands of lives and the future of our planet at stake, all in the name of polluter profits. As our air quality decreases and the consequences of the climate crisis reach our doorsteps, people across the country are demanding clean air and climate action louder than ever before.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.