Improving Life, One Breath at a Time

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Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
Terry Hargrove Director of Community Relations
1-800-LUNG-USA
www.lungusa.org
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Air Quality
State of the Air Report 2006 Knowledge of Impact
on Health Growing Unique Impacts on Children

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Ozone Pollution
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• Ozone is powerful irritant that burns our lungs
  and airways, causing them to become inflamed,
  reddened, and swollen.

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What is Ozone Pollution?
Sometimes called smog Created in the
atmosphere NOx VOCs
Ozone (O3)
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OZONE POLLUTION
Nearly 7.0 million people in the DC metro area
live in areas with unhealthy ozone pollution
Children, senior citizens and people with
respiratory diseases, like asthma, are
particularly vulnerable to ozone pollutionDC
metro area is ranked 12th worst for ozone
exposure
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OZONE POLLUTION

• Health effects include
• Coughing and wheezing
• Asthma attacks
• Reduced lung function
• Chest pain
• Birth defects
• Premature death

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Particle Pollution
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• Fine particles are so small they bypass the
  bodys natural defenses and penetrate some of the
  most fragile parts of the lung, causing serious
  respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

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PARTICLE POLLUTION
Senior citizens, people with heart and lung
diseases and children are most vulnerable to
particle pollution DC metro area ranked 12th
worst for short-term particle exposure and 21st
for year-round exposure to particles
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PARTICLE POLLUTION

• Health effects include
• Coughing and wheezing
• Asthma exacerbations
• Respiratory Irritation
• Heart Attacks
• Irregular Heartbeat -
• (cardiac arrhythmias)
• Premature Death

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Clean Air Interstate Rule
- Restrict the purchase of allowances from
in-state or out-of-state facilities for
facilities located in a nonattainment area (HB
1055/SB 651) - Creating Public Health Set
Asides - Support Ozone Transport Commissions
efforts to achieve further reductions in air
pollution from stationary sources beyond
CAIR
www.lungusa.org
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Clean Air Act
- Fight efforts to create loopholes that will
erode the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act -
Monitor development of State Implementation Plans
to meet ozone, particle pollution standards -
Support more protective limits on particle
pollution in the air - Urge EPA to promulgate
protective emission standards for locomotive and
marine diesel engines
www.lungusa.org
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Protect our Kids from Dirty Diesel
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• Reduce school bus idling times
• Retrofit current fleet and introduce clean fuels
• Replace older buses with ones meeting stringent
  pollution control standards
• Also implement with public transit

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Clean Up Our Fleet
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• Be the Model
• State owned truck, bus and non-road vehicles
  retrofitted with pollution controls
• Automobile fleets comprised of hybrids and other
  fuel efficient models
• Use clean fuels

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Contact Information
Terry Hargrove Director of Community
Relations 9221 Forest Hill Avenue Richmond, VA
23235 804-267-1900 ext. 125 thargrove_at_lungva.org

www.lungusa.org
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Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
For 100 years, the American Lung Association has
been the lead organization working to prevent
lung disease and promote lung health. Lung
disease death rates continue to increase while
other leading causes of death have declined.
The American Lung Association funds vital
research on the causes of and treatments for lung
disease. With the generous support of the public,
the American Lung Association is Improving
life, one breath at a time. For more
information about the American Lung Association
or to support the work it does, call
1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to
www.lungusa.org.