Kayah Swanson, kayah.swanson@sierraclub.org
Multnomah County, OR - Pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels in Oregon’s homes and buildings is threatening human health and the climate, and those threats disproportionately burden vulnerable populations, according to a new report released by Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
“The Outdoor Pollution Is Coming From Inside The House: National Building Pollution Report” illustrates the severity of the climate, health, and environmental justice concerns posed by outdoor air pollution from buildings, a source that is largely overlooked and unregulated.
“It's becoming more clear with every passing day: the use of toxic methane gas is a significant source of toxic air pollution, both indoors and out,” said Dylan Plummer, Senior Field Organizer at Sierra Club. “Our elected officials have a responsibility to develop policies to protect the public from these poisonous fumes, especially the vulnerable communities already disproportionately impacted by air pollution."
More than 40 percent of homes in Oregon burn fossil fuels in building equipment like furnaces and water heaters. Fossil fuel use in Oregon's homes and businesses releases more than 4,000 tons of harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx)—a health-harming and climate-disrupting type of pollution—into the outdoor environment each year, equivalent to the emissions from all power plants and cement plants in the state combined.
The negative outcomes caused by this pollution disproportionately burden vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, low income communities, communities of color, renters, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions. This data makes it clear that a failure to stop the burning of fossil fuels in our homes is a direct threat to the health and safety of our communities, especially communities of color.
"Frontline communities face unrelenting pollution both inside and outside homes,” said Melanie Plaut, MD, a member of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. "They produce less pollution, but frontline communities bear its harshest consequences because of substandard housing and environmental conditions. This recent report emphasizes that pollution from fossil-fuel home equipment is a major climate and health threat, further deepening environmental injustices. The message is clear: building decarbonization must prioritize communities on the frontlines of pollution and the climate crisis."
“These are pollutants that are damaging people’s lungs, hearts and brains. They really need to be brought under control,” said Barbara Gottlieb, national Environment & Health Program Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility. “It’s time to get these fossil-fueled polluters out of our buildings and communities. As health professionals, we call for replacing them with clean electric-powered space and water heaters. We’ll get cleaner air and better health as a result.”
The report compiles data from across government and expert sources showing the extent of the harm caused to people and the climate from fossil fuel burning space and water heating equipment like HVAC systems, furnaces, boilers, and water heaters.
August marked one year since Sierra Club and 25 other organizations petitioned the EPA to regulate outdoor air emissions from buildings and set zero-NOx standards for appliances. The agency has not yet responded to that petition.
State and local governments are beginning to take action to address building pollution, and initial funding solutions from the federal government, like the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Energy Rebates Program, are beginning to roll out to support the transition to zero-pollution technology. However, more action is needed for the country to meet climate, public health, and justice goals. For that reason, this new report concludes with a policy menu of local, state, and federal policy actions that could help reduce climate-warming and health-harming pollution.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.