AUGUSTA, Maine -- Congress must act to address air pollution from
out of state that's sickening too many Maine children and seniors,
the American Lung Association charged Wednesday at a State House
news conference.
The association announced a "healthy air agenda" that it
described as a "four-point blueprint for cleaning up the air,"
according to a news release. The announcement followed President
Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night, in which he
called on Congress to act to reduce pollution contributing to global
climate change.
The lung association spoke on behalf of the Maine Healthy Air
Coalition, a group of 55 health organizations that called on Maine's
congressional delegation to limit air pollutants that drift into
Maine from elsewhere in the country, according to the release. The
coalition urged lawmakers to clean up coal-fired power plants,
reduce the amount of sulfur in gasoline, set tighter pollution
limits on new vehicles, and reject automatic spending cuts triggered
by the budget deadlock that the coalition said would hamper efforts
to monitor and improve air quality.
"Out-of-state smokestacks and tailpipes have put a bulls-eye on
the backs of Maine children and seniors," Dr. Marguerite Pennoyer, a
Portland allergy and immunology physician and board member of the
American Lung Association in Maine, said in the release. "Maine's
adult asthma rate is the highest in the nation. But by putting
stronger science-based standards in place, many of the health and
economic impacts of dangerous air pollution could be prevented."
About 12 percent of Maine adults have asthma, according to the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State Rep. Dennis Keschl, a Belgrade Republican and former
director of Maine's Bureau of Air Quality Control, announced a joint
resolution Wednesday urging Congress to support and fund the federal
Clean Air Act and enforce the legislation to reduce air pollution
crossing into Maine.
"The reality is, we don't have to choose between improving public
health and helping our economy innovate and grow," Keschl said in
the release. "What the Lung Association has introduced is a simple,
common sense path to healthier air. And it will put us another step
closer to getting health costs under control " currently the No. 1
concern among Maine businesses."
The two most widespread air pollutants, ozone and particle
pollution, can lead to serious health problems, according to the
American Lung Association. Particle pollution, which is emitted from
car tailpipes and smokestacks, can increase the risk of heart
attacks and strokes and exacerbate respiratory and heart problems.
"I can tell you firsthand how much asthma affects your life,
limits your activities, and leaves you feeling vulnerable on days
when the air quality is bad," Mary Trescot of Newcastle said in the
release. "It's no way to live as an adult, and it's certainly no way
for kids to grow up."
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