June 29, 2004

CONTACT: Arthur Stamoulis
(215) 567-4004 ext. 222

PENNSYLVANIA CLEAN AIR, PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATES:
EPA SAYS RESIDENTS OF 22 PA COUNTIES LIVING WITH DIRTY AIR
BUSH PLAN WOULD DO TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today put forward its proposed list of counties that are violating the national health standards for fine particulate pollution. Fine particles are responsible for thousands of cases of respiratory disease and premature death every year.

EPA's draft indicates that twenty-two Pennsylvania counties do not meet the national health standard for fine particles ("PM2.5") set in 1997. Counties that do not meet the standard are designated in "nonattainment" status and are required under the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution to healthy levels.

"The air in these counties is so bad that it is literally taking years off people's lives," said Michael Fiorentino, Air Program Manager for Clean Air Council, a statewide environmental group. "Power plants in Pennsylvania need to be cleaned up for air quality to improve."

"Most particle pollution originates from combustion operations and from vehicles. Power plants are a dominant source of fine particle pollution, especially in the eastern United States," said Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania. "These particles are so small that they can bypass respiratory defenses and lodge deep in the lungs, worsening lung diseases such as asthma, and increasing the risk of heart attack and premature death."

EPA's release of its draft list of nonattainment areas comes just two weeks after a Clear The Air report found that power plant pollution cuts short nearly 24,000 lives, including 2,800 from lung cancer, and causes 38,200 heart attacks each year. In Pennsylvania, power plant pollution cuts short an estimated 1,825 lives, including nearly 200 from lung cancer, and causes an estimated 3,300 heart attacks each year.

"Nonattainment status is serious business. Not only is it a declaration that our air is unhealthy to breathe, it means that these areas will have to clean up," said Fiorentino. "Unfortunately, the Bush administration's air pollution plan will not provide Pennsylvania the relief we need. Allegheny County would still not meet basic air quality standards even in 2010."

The Clear The Air report "Dirty Air, Dirty Power" found that, nationwide, the Bush administration's air pollution plan would allow 4,000 additional preventable premature deaths each year compared to simply enforcing the law. Under a bipartisan proposal sponsored by Senator Jim Jeffords to strengthen the Clean Air Act, all but five counties in the eastern U.S. would attain the fine particle standard by 2010. In contrast, under the Bush plan, 27 eastern counties, with a combined population of more than 19 million people, would still be out of attainment in 2010.

This EPA list of proposed nonattainment counties comes after states made initial recommendations in February 2004. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had originally recommended 16 counties as in nonattainment. EPA's list also includes Armstrong, Butler, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence and Mercer Counties, which were not on DEP's list.

"The only way we are going to clean up our air pollution problems is if all counties with dirty air are required to make improvements. While EPA's proposed designations aren't perfect, we are glad EPA included six counties that the Commonwealth left off their initial list. Hopefully, EPA will press all nonattainment areas to improve their air quality quickly," said Fiorentino.

EPA has indicated that it will finalize the list of nonattainment counties in November, 2004. The complete list of counties that they have proposed as nonattainment are: Cumberland, Dauphin and Lebanon in the Harrisburg area; Cambria and Indiana in the Johnstown area; Lancaster in the Lancaster area; Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia in the Philadelphia area; Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland in the Pittsburgh area; Berks in the Reading area; York in the York area; and Mercer in the Youngstown, OH area.

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