Dear Editor:
On Aug. 30, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a
public hearing in Philadelphia on ozone "smog" pollution. Ozone
triggers asthma attacks and can harm even the healthiest lungs, and the
American Lung Association recently gave Chester County an "F" grade for
its high levels of ozone.
A decade of scientific studies makes clear that EPA needs to
substantially strengthen the national air quality standard for ozone in
order to better protect the public, and EPA is in the process of
revising the standard.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration's EPA proposed a new ozone
standard this spring that is weaker than what its own scientific
advisers said is necessary to protect public health. At the same time,
Big Oil and other powerful special interests are pushing hard to stop
EPA from strengthening the standard at all.
All Americans deserve to breathe clean air. Please attend the
public hearing on Aug. 30 to help urge EPA to adopt a strong ozone
standard that protects our health. The hearing starts at 9 a.m. at the
Warwick Hotel at 1701 Locust St. in Center City Philadelphia.
Mike Hankinson
PennEnvironment
