New Air Standards are a Lifesaver; Lung Association Pushes Back on False Industry Claims

In response to the industry claims following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Fine Particulate Matter, Paul Billings, Senior Vice President for Public Policy at the American Lung Association, issued the following statement:

“The new, stronger particle pollution standards will save lives. Despite what polluting industries are saying about the new air pollution standards, the sky will not fall and the world will not come to end. Don’t believe the cherry-picked data, misleading maps and false claims of economic calamity: they’re just not true.

“EPA estimates that in 2032, the nation will see 4,500 fewer premature deaths, 290,000 fewer lost workdays, 800,000 fewer cases of asthma symptoms and 2,000 fewer emergency department visits from the new standards. That’s not a calamity, the new standards are a lifesaver. 

“The American Lung Association looks forward to working with states and EPA to implement these new standards to maximize air pollution reductions and public health protections while still allowing for economic growth – as always happens with implementing the Clean Air Act.”