Yesterday, Oct. 28, EPA announced that it will reconsider the ozone standard from last year, which ignored new science about the dire health effects of ozone and left the standard unchanged.
EarthJustice issued a press release about the plan to reconsider ozone standards, you can read it here.
Mothers & Others For Clean Air’s Dr. Anne Mellinger-Birdsong is quoted in the press release. Here is her quote:
Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, Medical Education Advisor, Mothers & Others for Clean Air:
“Mothers & Others for Clean Air fully supports reconsidering the ozone standard. Ozone causes asthma attacks and respiratory problems and damages people’s lungs, and it also causes increased deaths. A recent study found that ozone is as bad for people with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) as smoking a pack a day of cigarettes. EPA’s decision last winter to leave the ozone standard the same ignored many recent health studies showing harm at levels well below the current standard, and we are glad EPA is planning to reconsider the ozone standard. Healthy air is good for health, and can be considered health care just as much as screening for high blood pressure or diabetes. Lowering the ozone standard will prevent needless deaths and allow children and adults to thrive.”
Mothers & Others For Clean Air is very happy about EPA’s plan to reconsider the ozone standard. So many new studies have come out in the last 5 years showing that ozone exposure causes increased deaths at lower levels of exposure, more lung damage than we realized, and much more. This is on top of what we already know about ozone being so bad for health. A stronger ozone standard would save lives and is truly good for health.
Click here to read the EarthJustice press release.
10/29/2021
