Transcript Improving Life, One Breath at a Time Terry Hargrove Director of Community Relations 1-800-LUNG-USA www.lungusa.org www.lungusa.org.

Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
Terry Hargrove
Director of Community Relations
1-800-LUNG-USA www.lungusa.org
www.lungusa.org
Air Quality
State of the Air Report 2006
Knowledge of Impact on Health Growing
Unique Impacts on Children
www.lungusa.org
Ozone Pollution
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Ozone is powerful
irritant that burns
our lungs and
airways, causing
them to become
inflamed, reddened,
and swollen.
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What is Ozone Pollution?
Sometimes called smog
Created in the atmosphere
NOx + VOCs +
+
= Ozone (O3)
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OZONE POLLUTION
Nearly 7.0 million people in the DC metro
area live in areas with unhealthy ozone
pollution
Children, senior citizens and people with
respiratory diseases, like asthma, are
particularly vulnerable to ozone pollution
DC metro area is ranked 12th worst for
ozone exposure
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OZONE POLLUTION
Health effects include:
•Coughing and wheezing
•Asthma attacks
•Reduced lung function
•Chest pain
•Birth defects
•Premature death
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Particle Pollution
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Fine particles are so
small they bypass the
body’s natural
defenses and
penetrate some of the
most fragile parts of
the lung, causing
serious respiratory and
cardiovascular
problems.
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PARTICLE POLLUTION
Senior citizens, people with heart and
lung diseases and children are most
vulnerable to particle pollution
DC metro area ranked 12th worst for
short-term particle exposure and 21st
for year-round exposure to particles
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PARTICLE POLLUTION
Health effects include:
•Coughing and wheezing
•Asthma exacerbations
•Respiratory Irritation
•Heart Attacks
•Irregular Heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmias)
•Premature Death
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Clean Air Interstate Rule
- Restrict the purchase of allowances from instate or out-of-state facilities for facilities located
in a nonattainment area (HB 1055/SB 651)
- Creating Public Health Set Asides
- Support Ozone Transport Commission’s
efforts to achieve further reductions in air
pollution from stationary sources beyond CAIR
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Clean Air Act
- Fight efforts to create loopholes that will
erode the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act
- Monitor development of State Implementation
Plans to meet ozone, particle pollution standards
- Support more protective limits on particle
pollution in the air
- Urge EPA to promulgate protective
emission standards for locomotive and marine
diesel engines
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Protect our Kids from Dirty Diesel
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-Reduce school bus
idling times
-Retrofit current fleet and
introduce clean fuels
-Replace older buses
with ones meeting
stringent pollution
control standards
-Also implement with
public transit
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Clean Up Our Fleet
Be the Model
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-State owned truck, bus
and non-road vehicles
retrofitted with pollution
controls
-Automobile fleets
comprised of hybrids and
other fuel efficient models
-Use clean fuels
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Contact Information
Terry Hargrove
Director of Community Relations
9221 Forest Hill Avenue
Richmond, VA 23235
804-267-1900 ext. 125
[email protected]
www.lungusa.org
www.lungusa.org
Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead
organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health.
Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading
causes of death have declined.
The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of
and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public,
the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time”.
For more information about the American Lung Association or to support
the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to
www.lungusa.org.
www.lungusa.org