Quigley, Gutiérrez and Schakowsky send letter to EPA in Support of Stronger Smog Standard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley, Luis Gutiérrez, and Jan Schakowsky sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy in support of the Agency’s consideration of a stronger standard for ground-level ozone (smog) pollution. Smog pollution poses serious risks to public health, including asthma. Children, the elderly, and those who work outdoors are most vulnerable to its impacts.  

The EPA is considering a standard ranging from 60-70 parts per billion – an improvement from the 75 parts per billion (ppb) standard that exists today, which experts say is inadequate to protect public health.  The members urged a 60 ppb standard, which could extend life for four to five times as many people compared to weaker 70 ppb standard.

“We hope that you will follow the long tradition of the EPA to set a protective standard that will build upon those decades of public health and technological progress,” said the members. “Doing so would have a lasting and positive impact on our home state of Illinois, where 1.2 million adults and 13 percent of children suffer from smog-related asthma.”  

Text of the letter is below. 

Dear Administrator McCarthy:

We write to express our support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s current consideration of updated ground-level ozone (smog) pollution protections and to encourage the strongest possible standard to protect public health. 

Health experts, epidemiologists, and numerous medical organizations have clearly stated that the existing EPA smog standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb) is not adequate to protect public health – particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, outdoor workers and those with chronic medical conditions like asthma. In response to mounting medical evidence and Clean Air Act requirements, the federal courts rightly directed the EPA to reconsider existing inadequate health protections against smog earlier this year. 

The EPA has announced that it is considering a new smog standard in the 60-70 ppb range. A 12-city EPA analysis showed that reducing the level of smog pollution to 60 ppb would extend life for four to five times as many people compared to a weaker 70 ppb standard. We strongly urge you to set the ozone standard at no higher than 60 ppb in order to best protect public health – particularly children’s health. 

Since the Clean Air Act was enacted into law more than 40 years ago, we have seen tremendous progress in cleaning up our air and in protecting thousands of communities around the country. That has been done in concert with technological innocation and a growing economy. We hope that you will follow the long tradition of the EPA to set a protective standard that will build upon those decades of public health and technological progress. Doing so would have a lasting and positive impact on our home state of Illinois, where 1.2 million adults and 13% of children suffer from smog-related asthma – well above the national average. 

Again, thank you for your great work and for your consideration of our request to set the new ground-level ozone standard at no higher than 60 parts per billion. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Respectfully, 

U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez (IL-04)
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)
U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

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