Pennsylvania residents face a risk of developing cancer
in their lifetimes that is 558 times greater as a result of breathing toxic
chemicals in the outdoor air, according to a new report released today by PennEnvironment.
Dangers
of Diesel: How Diesel Soot and Other Air Toxics Increase Americans' Risk of
Cancer finds that Pennsylvania residents on average face a one-in-1,800
risk of developing cancer from pollutants in the outdoor air, which is 558 times
greater than the one-in-one-million health-protective standard established in
the Clean Air Act. 89 percent of this added cancer risk is from the filthy soot
released by diesel-powered trucks and buses, as well as construction and farm
equipment. The report comes as the Bush administration faces crucial decisions
on new standards for dirty diesel construction and farm equipment and their
fuel.
"This is an unacceptable cancer threat to Pennsylvanians, and one that
we can virtually eliminate," said Nathan Willcox, energy and clean air
associate for PennEnvironment. "Step one for the Bush administration is
to implement the tough standards that are on the books for diesel trucks, buses
and fuels. Step two is to adopt stringent new standards for the diesel engines
and fuel that power construction and farm equipment."
Joining PennEnvironment to release the report were the
American Lung Association (ALA) of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Physicians for
Social Responsibility (PSR), and Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future.
"The American Lung Association's position is simple,"
said Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health for the ALA of Pennsylvania.
"Every year, diesel exhaust kills thousands of people. We've known this
for years. It's time—past time—to do the right thing."
"A host of studies over the years point to diesel
exhaust as a major cause of cancer throughout the United States. Every resident
in every state is at risk," said Dr. Joel Chinitz, of the Environmental
Health Task Force of Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility. "Philadelphia
PSR endorses PennEnvironment's campaign to have the administration implement
existing clean air standards. Every day of delay adds to the needless toll."
"This report yet again illustrates our state's need
to move away from traditional sources of petroleum and further develop alternative
fuel sources," said Rep. Ellen M. Bard (R-Montgomery), who chaired the
Task Force for 21st Century Energy Policy for Pennsylvania. "Through the
task force, we examined a number of innovative examples of alternative fuel
use here in Pennsylvania, including CNG-powered school buses and trucks using
bio-diesel. Those model uses can and should be replicated to help reduce the
harmful pollutants of existing fuels."
PennEnvironment's researchers analyzed recently released
U.S. EPA data from 1996, the most recent year for which data are available,
to estimate the potential cancer risks associated with exposure to 33 hazardous
air pollutants in order to better understand the magnitude of the cancer risk
from air pollution. Given the dominant role played by toxic emissions from cars,
trucks, and non-road engines, the report also provides detailed estimates of
the potential cancer risks posed by five priority mobile source air toxics.
Because the report does not consider the serious non-cancer health effects associated
with the pollutants, it actually underestimates their health impacts.
In addition to finding that most of the cancer risk from
air pollution in Pennsylvania results from diesel soot, other key findings include
the following:
• Pennsylvania had the seventh highest emissions
of diesel soot nationwide. Diesel soot has been linked to lung cancer and triggers
asthma and other respiratory effects. The fine particles in diesel soot also
can exacerbate existing heart and lung disease, cutting short tens of thousands
of lives each year. In Pennsylvania, construction equipment and other non-road
diesel engines released 55 percent of diesel emissions in 1996; the remaining
45 percent of emissions were from trucks and buses.
• Residents in every county in Pennsylvania
were exposed to diesel emissions at levels that far exceeded the cancer benchmark
concentration, or an added cancer risk of one-in-one million, in 1996. On average,
residents breathed levels of diesel soot 499 times the cancer benchmark concentration.
Risks were highest in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware counties.
• Pennsylvania ranked ninth nationwide for
emissions of benzene. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with anemia
and damage to the immune system. Benzene also may impair fertility in women
and cause adverse developmental effects. In 1996, cars, trucks, and non-road
engines released 81 percent of total benzene emissions.
• All Pennsylvania residents were exposed to
benzene emissions at levels that exceeded the cancer benchmark concentration
in 1996, but residents of Philadelphia County actually faced the second highest
increased risk in the country.
• Pennsylvania had the seventh highest emissions
of formaldehyde nationwide. Formaldehyde may cause lung, nose, and throat cancers,
as well as adverse respiratory effects. In 1996, cars, trucks, and non-road
engines released 67 percent of total formaldehyde emissions.
• On average, residents of Pennsylvania were
exposed to formaldehyde emissions at levels twelve times the cancer benchmark
concentration in 1996, with Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery counties
facing the highest risk.
To reduce Americans' exposure to cancer-causing air pollutants,
particularly harmful diesel emissions, PennEnvironment is calling on the Bush
administration to press ahead with the strongest possible standards for dirty
diesel construction, farm, and industrial equipment, like bulldozers, forklifts,
and tractors, and their fuel. These engines contribute 61 percent of the added
cancer risk from diesel pollution in the state.
PennEnvironment applauded the U.S. EPA for its commitment
to fully implementing landmark standards to clean up diesel trucks and buses,
which were adopted in 2001. These standards will slash diesel emissions from
trucks and buses by more than 90 percent, the equivalent of taking 13 million
of the nation's 14 million trucks and buses off the roads. In addition to reducing
the cancer risk from exposure to diesel exhaust, EPA estimates that the standards
will prevent more than 360,000 asthma attacks and 8,300 premature deaths each
year.
The U.S. EPA is in the process of developing new standards
for diesel construction and farm equipment and their fuel, with a formal proposal
due out early in 2003. These standards should be equivalent to the standards
for diesel trucks and implemented in the same time frame. Such standards could
prevent another 180,000 asthma attacks and 8,500 premature deaths each year
and could save $67 billion in health care costs annually, according to a recent
report by state and local air quality officials.
As part of the "non-road" diesel proposal,
the administration is considering developing an emission-trading program between
the truck and non-road sectors. Nathan Willcox pointed out that PennEnvironment
remains concerned that a market-based trading program could undermine the crucial
emissions reductions required for diesel trucks and buses and compromise the
clean up of non-road diesel engines.
"We are going to scrutinize this proposal carefully
to ensure that the public health goals are met on a timeline that is consistent
with the law," said Nathan Willcox.
PennEnvironment also called on EPA to take additional
steps to reduce toxic emissions from cars, trucks, and non-road engines by crafting
an aggressive mobile source air toxics rule. Specifically, PennEnvironment said
that EPA should stop dragging its feet and fulfill its Clean Air Act mandate
to control toxic emissions from mobile sources and their fuels by adopting regulations
to:
· establish a nationwide fuel benzene cap;
· expand the use of modern emission controls on old diesel engines and
non-road gasoline engines; and
· increase the number of intrinsically clean, advanced technology vehicles,
like hybrid electric cars, on the roads.
Lastly, PennEnvironment called on transit services and
bus companies throughout Pennsylvania to make the move away from diesel and
towards cleaner technologies, such as hybrid, compressed natural gas, or fuel
cell technologies.
