Physicians and Advocacy Groups Demand Cleaner Air In Los Angeles
Posted July 18, 2011 in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil, U.S. Law and Policy
It’s been slightly more than 60 days since we, along with Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles and environmental justice groups filed a letter of intent to sue the EPA for failing to enforce the Clean Air Act in the Los Angeles region. Two months ago, I wrote about the failure of the EPA to enforce smog requirements in the Los Angeles region. You can read the post here. You can also read the Earthjustice press release on the effort here.
Because of EPA’s inaction, today, several groups are suing the EPA in federal court in Los Angeles for its failure to abide by and enforce Clean Air Act requirements. The Los Angeles region is still the smoggiest in the nation according to the American Lung Association’s 2011 State of the Air report and people daily suffer the real-world consequences of our failure to meet smog standards.
These consequences include asthma, premature death, and the related health problems that come along with illegal levels of pollution. For these compelling reasons, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles joined with environmental and environmental justice advocates today to make sure EPA complies with federal clean air laws designed to protect our lungs. Right now, they’re in jeopardy. Through filing these lawsuits, physicians, community residents and environmentalists seek to enforce our rights to breathe cleaner air.
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Comments
Ross Hirsch — Jul 19 2011 02:05 PM
I bike to/from my office in downtown LA daily, and would very much like to see cleaner air. It would seem that cyclists, as a group, would be particularly interested in seeing our air laws and standards enforced.
Adrian Martinez — Jul 19 2011 08:46 PM
This is a great point. I welcome the support from the cycling community. The California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District--the agencies responsible for cleaning the air in the Los Angeles region--are frequently engaging in clean air planning. Advocates for cleaner transportation like yourself should participate in pushing for strong clean air plans.