New American Lung Assn. Poll Finds Strong, Bipartisan Support for Cleaner Gasoline and Vehicles

Voters support EPA setting stricter air pollution standards to protect public health

Washington, D.C. (January 30, 2013)—

An overwhelming majority of voters supports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) setting stricter standards on gasoline and tighter emissions standards for cars, SUVs and trucks according to the American Lung Association's latest survey.
This bipartisan telephone survey of 800 registered voters, conducted during January 13-16, 2013, finds that nearly two-thirds of voters surveyed across the country support strengthening standards that limit sulfur in gasoline and tighten the limits on tailpipe emissions from new vehicles. These revised standards would reduce pollution from cars, trucks and SUVs, would protect public health and would create jobs by encouraging innovation.

Breathers Getting Fracked! A Smoggy Warning from Utah and Colorado

While those of us on the East Coast are fretting about the bitter cold and snow threats, there’s a different sort of problem in the frequently fracked oil and gas fields of northeastern Utah and western Colorado: it’s the breathers who are getting fracked with Los Angeles-style smog.

Govs to President Obama: We Need Smog-Fighting Cleaner Gasoline Now!

 

Many thanks to these progressive governors, led by Connecticut's Governor Malloy, and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, for speaking up about the need for President Obama to get moving on smog-fighting, low-sulfur gasoline.  Please note their letter, below.

Leading Public Health Groups Join Call for Smog-Fighting, Low-Sulfur Gasoline

This is an important letter from the public health community.  It's time for these important smog-fighting tools to move forward!  They are also supported by business, labor, state government and environmental groups. 

The only opposition is from BIG OIL.  This is a no-brainer.

Here is the new letter:

American Heart Association ● American Lung Association American Public Health Association ● American Thoracic Society

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ● Health Care Without Harm

National Association of County and City Health Officials

Trust for America’s Health

 

 

January 16, 2013 President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest Washington DC 20500

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

As leading medical and public health organizations, we urge you to adopt lower sulfur gasoline and cleaner vehicle emissions standards no later than December 31, 2013. These stronger public health protections will significantly reduce toxic air pollution from the U.S. passenger vehicle fleet, and are urgently needed. Nearly 159 million Americans still live in areas where the air is too dangerous to breathe.  Cleaner gasoline will benefit their health immediately.

 

Passenger vehicles remain one of the major sources of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide emissions that react in the atmosphere to form ozone, which triggers asthma attacks, worsens lung disease and shortens life. Cars, light trucks and SUVs also contribute to ambient fine particulate matter which threatens heart and lung health, as well as increased risk of premature death. Emerging health research indicates that people who live or work near roadways suffer disproportionate adverse health effects from air pollution.

 

Not only does the nation need these reductions in ozone and particulate matter to protect public health, lower sulfur gasoline and vehicle emissions standards are one of the most cost- effective paths to cleaner air. The National Association of Clean Air Agencies estimates that by lowering the sulfur content in gasoline, the nation could immediately reduce the amount of air pollution equal to removing 33 million cars and light trucks from our roads. Reducing the sulfur in gasoline will build on the strong foundation of your efforts to increase fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution in half by 2025.

 

Americans have the right to breathe clean and healthy air. In our work to improve the health of our patients and the public, we know first-hand that the air too many Americans breathe puts their health and their lives at risk.  The new standards will protect the health of all, especially those who are most vulnerable: our children; the elderly; those with chronic lung disease, heart disease or diabetes; and those who have low incomes. We urge you to propose lower sulfur   gasoline and cleaner vehicle emissions standards immediately to ensure the standards are finalized  by December 31, 2013.

 

Sincerely,

 

American Heart Association

American Lung Association

American Public Health Association

American Thoracic Society

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Health Care Without Harm

National Association of County and City Health Officials

Trust for America’s Health

cc:        Nancy Sutley, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
            Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
             Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, US EPA

Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, US EPA
Chris Grundler, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, US EPA

Business, Labor, Enviro Groups Urge President to Move Forward with Clean-Gasoline Standards

Last night, an impressive, broad-based coalition urged President Obama to move swiftly to adopt new smog-fighting clean gasoline standards. The coalition letter is below.  As you may recall from prior posts on this issue http://blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/2012/06/study-low-sulfur-gas-would-mean-no.html , cleaner, low-sulfur gas would not only reduce smog and improve public health -- with likely no price increase at the pump -- but would also create jobs.

Clean Air Watch is delighted to be in such good company.

Let's hope the President and his advisers are paying attention!

January 9, 2013

 

President Barack H. Obama

 

  The White House

  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

 

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

As a diverse group of industry, environmental, labor, and science-based organizations representing millions of Americans, we are writing to urge you to finalize the Tier 3 vehicle emission and gasoline standards no later than December 31, 2013. Cleaner gasoline and vehicles provided by Tier 3 will help deliver cleaner air to all Americans and help states meet their Clean Air Act implementation requirements.

 

Completing this rule will build on the strong foundation of clean car standards that nearly double fuel efficiency and cut dangerous tailpipe pollution in half by 2025, which you achieved in your first term. Tailpipe and fuel standards to control smog-forming and particulate emissions from passenger vehicles are key to reducing the health impacts of poor air quality including asthma, respiratory problems, and premature death. Passenger vehicles remain the second largest emitters of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – the primary pollutants that form smog – in the U.S. These vehicles also emit more than half of all carbon monoxide pollution and contribute to particulate matter emissions. According to a National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) study, the anticipated Tier 3 program has the potential to cut gasoline vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds by 29, 38 and 26 percent respectively. A study by Navigant Economics stated that these pollution reductions will have health benefits with an estimated value of $5-$6 billion annually by 2020 and $10-$11 billion annually by 2030.

 

More than 1 in 3 Americans still live in areas where air pollutant levels exceed at least one of the health- based National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Tier 3 will help states reach their NAAQS attainment goals as required under the Clean Air Act because reducing sulfur in gasoline will result in significant, immediate reductions of smog-forming pollutants from the existing fleet of vehicles. As the Tier 2 program demonstrated, the greatest benefits are achieved when the standards for the vehicle and fuel are developed as a system.

 

Tier 3 will promote innovation in the automotive sector and create jobs in the refining industry. Navigant’s study estimated that implementation of the Tier 3 standard will create more than 5,300 permanent jobs in the operation and maintenance of new refining equipment, as well as over 24,000 new jobs over a three year period for equipment installation at the nation’s refineries.

 

The benefits of Tier 3 are significant, and we therefore urge you to work to finalize this standard as soon as possible and before December 31, 2013.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ceres

Clean Air Watch

  Conservation Law Foundation

Corning Incorporated

  Donaldson Company, Inc.
Emissions Control Technology Association
ENE (Environment Northeast)
Energy Independence Now
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Entrepreneurs
Hug Filtersystems
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, UAW
Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA)
Moms Clean Air Force
Natural Resources Defense Council
NGK Automotive Ceramics USA, Inc Safe Climate Campaign
Sierra Club
Tenneco, Inc.
Union of Concerned Scientists