To the Editor, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, May 5, 2017
Thank you for your editorial of April 21 on air quality. The Lung Association’s State of the Air report citing improvements in air quality underscores the progress the Clean Air Act has made in cleaning up the air we breathe and saving lives.
Muscogee County received a grade of A for both ozone pollution and particle pollution, which is good news for the community. Improved air quality is tied to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards and enforcement of regulations. These results demonstrate that growth and improved air quality can go together. And it means the Clean Air Act is very important.
It is distressing to hear that the Clean Air Act is under attack at the federal level and proposed funding cuts threaten the EPA. As a mother and grandmother, I value the need for healthy air, both now and for the future. To continue the progress our nation has made, the Trump Administration, EPA Administrator Pruitt, and members of Congress, including our own Senators Johnny Isakson, David Perdue and Representative Sanford Bishop, must fully fund, implement and enforce the Clean Air Act for all pollutants, including those that drive climate change. We cannot afford to take a step back now.
Katherine Cummings
Mothers and Others for Clean Air
Project Manager for Georgia
