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Nearly half of all Americans live in areas where, according to the American Lung Association, the air is at times literally unsafe to breathe because of high levels of smog. In 1997, the EPA adopted new rules to reduce dangerous levels of smog, but an unsuccessful court challenge by industry delayed the rules, which still haven't taken effect.
Now, an amendment to the massive transportation bill currently being considered by the U.S. Senate could delay these rules even further and weaken current transportation conformity rules in the Clean Air Act that help prevent highway projects from worsening air quality in areas with smog problems.
With childhood asthma rates at an all time high, we need the Senate to put America on the road to cleaner air. Please take a minute to ask your senators to defend the Clean Air Act and remove proposals that would weaken clean air protections from the transportation bill. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.
To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=401&id4=OHFreep
Three decades of progressively tighter vehicle emission standards have substantially reduced emissions per vehicle, but these reductions have been eroded by a near tripling in the number of vehicle miles traveled on America's roads. As a result, cars and trucks produce one-third to one-half of air pollutants, and these pollutants contribute to many serious health problems, including asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature deaths, with children, seniors and people who live near busy roads most at risk.
The U.S. Senate is considering a massive, $300 billion transportation bill that will set federal policy and funding for highways and transit through the end of the decade. Even though half of all Americans already live in areas where the air is at times literally unsafe to breathe, amendments to the transportation bill would roll back a key Clean Air Act protection that prevents highway projects from worsening air quality in areas plagued by air pollution and other amendments that have little if anything to do with transportation could further delay rules to reduce dangerous levels of smog.
For example, the Clean Air Act's "transportation conformity" provisions are key to keeping harmful vehicle emissions in check. These rules require areas with poor air quality to keep emissions from cars and trucks within a "budget" so that these areas can meet national health-based air quality standards. However, road building industries and their allies in the Bush administration and Congress want to weaken or even eliminate this critical clean air protection and allow transportation projects to go forward regardless of their impact on air quality and public health.
Please take a moment to ask your senators to defend the Clean Air Act and reject amendments to the transportation bill that would increase air pollution. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.
To take action, click on this link: pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=401&id4=OHFreep Sincerely,
Erin Bowser
Ohio PIRG Advocate
Now, an amendment to the massive transportation bill currently being considered by the U.S. Senate could delay these rules even further and weaken current transportation conformity rules in the Clean Air Act that help prevent highway projects from worsening air quality in areas with smog problems.
With childhood asthma rates at an all time high, we need the Senate to put America on the road to cleaner air. Please take a minute to ask your senators to defend the Clean Air Act and remove proposals that would weaken clean air protections from the transportation bill. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.
To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=401&id4=OHFreep
Three decades of progressively tighter vehicle emission standards have substantially reduced emissions per vehicle, but these reductions have been eroded by a near tripling in the number of vehicle miles traveled on America's roads. As a result, cars and trucks produce one-third to one-half of air pollutants, and these pollutants contribute to many serious health problems, including asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature deaths, with children, seniors and people who live near busy roads most at risk.
The U.S. Senate is considering a massive, $300 billion transportation bill that will set federal policy and funding for highways and transit through the end of the decade. Even though half of all Americans already live in areas where the air is at times literally unsafe to breathe, amendments to the transportation bill would roll back a key Clean Air Act protection that prevents highway projects from worsening air quality in areas plagued by air pollution and other amendments that have little if anything to do with transportation could further delay rules to reduce dangerous levels of smog.
For example, the Clean Air Act's "transportation conformity" provisions are key to keeping harmful vehicle emissions in check. These rules require areas with poor air quality to keep emissions from cars and trucks within a "budget" so that these areas can meet national health-based air quality standards. However, road building industries and their allies in the Bush administration and Congress want to weaken or even eliminate this critical clean air protection and allow transportation projects to go forward regardless of their impact on air quality and public health.
Please take a moment to ask your senators to defend the Clean Air Act and reject amendments to the transportation bill that would increase air pollution. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.
To take action, click on this link: pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=401&id4=OHFreep Sincerely,
Erin Bowser
Ohio PIRG Advocate