"Closing the Diesel Divide" is a Public Health Imperative - An American Lung Association and Environmental Defense Joint News Release

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New Report Makes Case for Protecting Public Health from Diesel
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    "Closing the Diesel Divide" is a Public Health Imperative
    An American Lung Association and Environmental Defense Joint News Release

     

  • Read the statement from John L. Kirkwood: On New Report on Dangers of Diesel Air Pollution
  • Read the related press release: American Lung Association Welcomes EPA Diesel Proposal - Will Work for Rapid Implementation
  • View the "Closing the Diesel Divide" Reportpdf file

    • (15 April 2003 -- Washington) Today the American Lung Association and Environmental Defense released a new report examining the harmful impacts of diesel air pollution on public health. Closing the Diesel Divide shows that the breathtaking range of hazards posed by diesel exhaust stands in stark contrast to the chaotic patchwork of regulations that governs diesel pollution sources. The report focuses on two major sources of diesel pollution that represent holes in the regulatory patchwork: (1) diesel engines used in a range of nonroad equipment such as construction, industrial, surface mining, and agricultural, and (2) diesel-powered electrical generators. The report is available at www.environmentaldefense.org and at this link on www.lungusa.org.

    "Cleaning up the harmful pollutants discharged from large diesel equipment and diesel electric generators are among the most important measures that can be taken to help millions of Americans breathe healthier air," said John L. Kirkwood, president and CEO, American Lung Association.

    "This report identifies viable, sensible ways to protect public health from diesel air pollution by filling in the holes in the chaotic patchwork of programs governing this pollution," said Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense senior attorney.

    The American Lung Association and Environmental Defense recommend the following key steps that should be taken in order to protect public health from the harmful effects of air pollution from these two major categories of diesel engines:

     

  • Adopt protective national emission and fuel standards for large nonroad equipment that reflect the federal government's recently adopted standards for large highway diesel engines.
  • Address the full suite of diesel engines that have eluded meaningful clean air protections, from compact loaders to large commercial marine vessels.
  • Implement federal and local retrofit programs to lower air pollution and protect public health immediately without waiting for the next generation of equipment to replace existing machines.
  • Close the long-standing loophole that allows diesel electric generators to operate without meeting any federal emission standards.

    "Diesel exhaust contains a host of harmful contaminants that together pose a cancer risk greater than that of any other air pollutant, as well as causing other short and long term health problems," said Dr. John Balbus, Environmental Defense public health program director and physician.

     

  • Read the related statement from John L. Kirkwood: On New Report on Dangers of Diesel Air Pollution
  • Read the related press release: American Lung Association Welcomes EPA Diesel Proposal - Will Work for Rapid Implementation
  • View the "Closing the Diesel Divide" Reportpdf file


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    For nearly 100 years, the American Lung Association and Lung Association affiliates throughout the United States have worked together in the fight against lung disease. We need your support to fight lung disease, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Contact your local American Lung Association to find out how you can help.

    Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 300,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. www.environmentaldefense.org

     

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