SELC, environmental justice groups file amicus brief in support of EPA’s fine particulate air pollution standard
SELC, Southern Environmental Law Center
Numerous states and polluting industries are challenging the standard EPA released in February, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, arguing, among other things, that the agency’s consideration of environmental justice in setting the standard was unlawful.
On behalf of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP), West End Revitalization Association (WERA), South Bronx Unite, and Community Health Aligning Revitalization, Resistance & Sustainability (CHARRS), SELC argues that considering environmental justice falls squarely within EPA’s legal obligation to set air quality standards at levels needed to protect the health of sensitive populations.
Soot pollution is deadly. Many times smaller than the width of a human hair, these invisible particles lodge deep into human lungs and into the bloodstream. Health risks include asthma and asthma aggravation, lung disease, heart attacks and coronary heart disease, depression and suicide, preterm births, and premature death. Communities of color and low-wealth communities are more exposed to soot pollution and are more vulnerable to serious health impacts from such exposure than the general population.
