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Environmental Justice Leader Jesse N. Marquez Joins in Carbon Monoxide Suit Against U.S. EPA
Fetal Health Endangered by Outdated Clean Air Standards
SAN FRANCISCO, July 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Southern California
Environmental Justice leader Jesse N. Marquez and Coalition For A Safe
Environment have joined three other environmental groups in a lawsuit filed
against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its failure to update
nationwide air quality standards for carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO)
is lethal at high levels and at lower levels is linked to low birth weights
and other serious health problems.
Under the Federal Clean Air Act, all National Ambient Air Quality
Standards must be reviewed by the U.S. EPA every five years to determine if
the rules need to be strengthened. However, the carbon monoxide standard
has not been reviewed since August 1994, nearly 13 years ago.
"Our health standards need to catch up with our health science," said
Jesse N. Marquez. "Right now, carbon monoxide standards are as outdated as
an 8-track player. Air pollution is increasing. We need to update and
strengthen these standards to protect our children, our communities, and
environment."
Carbon monoxide pollution contributes to cardiovascular, nervous
system, and developmental problems. It also reacts with sunlight to form
smog and contributes to climate change.
"The evidence is both alarming and clear, so there is no excuse for
delaying action," said Philip Huang with Communities for a Better
Environment. "Poor people and people of color suffer most from carbon
monoxide, which is spewed by the refineries and power plants located in our
communities, as well as the congested highways in our backyards."
Recent studies have found that carbon monoxide levels at 1.4 parts per
million over a three-month period, or trimester, are harmful to developing
fetuses. Current standards allow carbon monoxide to reach as high as 9
parts per million over an 8-hour period. No standards currently exist to
limit long-term exposure to carbon monoxide at any level.
Low birth weight is a significant health problem contributing to infant
mortality and long-term developmental problems. The percentage of infants
with low birth weights (under 5.5 pounds) has increased by 16% both in
California and nationwide since 1990. African American babies born in
California are twice as likely to suffer from low birth weights as white
babies; an alarming trend exacerbated by persistent and unacceptable levels
of CO in the atmosphere.
The groups joining the lawsuit to strengthen carbon monoxide standards
include Communities for a Better Environment (Oakland, CA), Rocky Mountain
Clean Air Action (Denver, CO), Coalition for a Safe Environment
(Wilmington, CA), and Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles. The
lawsuit can be downloaded online at
http://www.ourcleanair.org/uploads/CO_lawsuit.pdf.
SOURCE Coalition for a Safe Environment
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