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More than 2 out of every 5 Americans live in areas where ground-level ozone pollution – commonly known as smog – makes the air unhealthy to breathe.
Ozone pollution irritates our airways, causing a burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and exacerbating conditions like asthma. Ultimately, it’s linked to serious heart and lung conditions – and premature death.
And the extreme heat we’ve seen lately – from Washington, DC to Seattle – increases the number of days with high levels of ozone pollution.
But as America struggles to contain a respiratory pandemic, and as heat waves put us at risk, the Trump administration is declining to protect us.
We have a limited amount of time to fight back and demand that they follow the science and protect our health.
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Here are the details:
Smog – a hazy brown soup you often see hanging over the skyline – is formed when industrial emissions from power plants, factories, cars, and other sources react with heat and sunlight.
This pollution is, in fact, deadly. That’s why every five years EPA reviews air quality standards in light of any new medical evidence and updates the standard to ensure it is protecting public health.
Experts told the EPA that we needed stronger standards, but they’ve chosen not to act to protect us – even while openly acknowledging that this decision will disproportionately harm Black communities and low-income communities that have higher rates of childhood asthma (children are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of ozone pollution because their lungs are still developing) and other chronic diseases.
And they’re giving Americans only half the amount of time of a typical review to weigh in on these crucial safeguards
We have no time to waste: Add your name today, and demand the Trump administration stop putting our health at risk.
Thank you for standing with us,
Heather Shelby
Action Network Manager
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