Washington DC. – Today, a significant milestone in our nation’s journey toward cleaner air has been reached, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveils its final standards, bolstering the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to specifically address fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5), commonly known as soot. These strengthened standards, reducing the annual air quality benchmarks from the current 12 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) to a more rigorous 9 μg/m3, are poised to prevent a projected 4,500 premature deaths, mitigate 2,000 emergency room visits, and salvage 290,000 lost workdays annually by the year 2032.
En respuesta a este anuncio, Irene Burga, Directora del Programa de Justicia Climática y Aire Limpio de GreenLatinos, emitió el siguiente comunicado:
“Today, we celebrate a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to improve air quality and protect public health, especially within the Latine community. The implementation of these final EPA standards on soot promises tangible improvements in the well-being of our communities, particularly among those most vulnerable. However, we acknowledge that there is still more work ahead. Nationwide, Latine children disproportionately bear the burden of asthma, a condition exacerbated by exposure to PM2.5. Despite our collective strides, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to environmental justice. While we did not achieve the more ambitious standard of 8 μg/m3 that environmental justice organizations advocated for, this standard represents a crucial step forward. We look forward to continued collaboration with the EPA and the Biden Administration to ensure robust enforcement of the annual standard, as we remain dedicated to advancing proposals for the 24-hour standard.”
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Acerca de GreenLatinos
VerdeLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestras batallas ambientales, de conservación y de justicia climática, y motivados para asegurar nuestras políticas, Liberación económica, cultural y ambiental.