Seniors Press EPA For Cleaner Air, Water

April 30, 2003

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Seniors and advocates for the elderly are pressing the Environmental Protection Agency for tougher clean air and water standards and tougher laws governing secondhand smoke.

Those testifying at a recent EPA fact-finding hearing criticized President Bush for weakening federal emission standards, saying such changes heighten the exposure and health risk of older people with health problems ranging from asthma and emphysema to lung and heart disease.

"There is a perception that the Bush administration has the interest of big business ahead of that of the average citizen," said 85-year-old Bob Walsh of Cedar Rapids. "This perception is furthered by this administration's watering down of the Clean Water Act, polluting the Clean Air Act and by failure to protect our national parks and forests."

The hearing is part of an ongoing dialogue the EPA is having with the elderly to help craft a new, national initiative to protect them from environmental health hazards.

EPA officials say the new agenda will focus on aging research, identifying gaps in environmental health. It will look at how potential health hazards such as drinking water, indoor and outdoor air pollutants, heavy metals and temperature extremes affect a population with weaker immune systems and a lifetime of exposure to toxins and prescription drugs.

"Our country is undergoing a dramatic demographic transformation," said James Gulliford, EPA administrator for the Kansas City region. "This will help us organize and prioritize national health risks for the elderly."

The so-called listening session at the University of Iowa was the third of six in cities across the country. Sessions have already been held in Florida and Texas; others are planned for Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Los Angeles.

EPA statistics show the number of U.S. elderly people is expected to double to 70 million by 2030. The nation's fastest growing age group, those 85 and older, is expected to reach 14 million the same year.

The shift is significant for Iowa, which ranks fourth in the nation in citizens 65 and older, and second in the 85 and older category, according to state officials.

"The high percentage of elderly, especially in rural areas (of Iowa), presents us with a significant challenge," said Kathleen Buckwalter, associate provost for Health Sciences at the University of Iowa.

Several seniors or representatives speaking on behalf of elderly groups urged the EPA to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, particularly in public buildings and restaurants.

"We don't need more research," said Christopher Squier, a professor at the University of Iowa Dental School. "We need more of what works ... more smoke-free public areas."

Seniors also criticized the Bush administration for reducing the dollar value placed on the elderly in analyzing the effect of policy changes. Typically, government agencies attribute a $6.1 million value to each human life.

But in its cost-benefit analysis of air emissions rules, the Office of Management and Budget reduced that number for older citizens to $3.7 million - $2.3 million for those over 70.

"I was surprised and shocked at the administration's move to devalue seniors," said Tom Slater of the State Public Policy Group. "Iowa seniors have a responsibility to speak out."

Gulliford told the audience that the agency does not accept or endorse the use of any age-adjusted analysis when it drafts policy.