EPA Said to Ignore Benefit of Saving Lives
Trump EPA will only consider cost to industry, not benefits to American health and welfare from air pollution safeguards, new report says.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency is going to stop considering the economic benefits of reducing asthma, heart disease and premature deaths as it repeals limits on air pollutants like mercury, soot and smog, according to published reports.
The following is a statement from John Walke, senior attorney for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“The EPA’s mandate is to protect public health, not to ignore the science in order to eliminate clean air safeguards that save lives. This is reckless, dangerous, and illegal. It is appalling. By pretending real health benefits do not count, EPA wants to open the door for industry to foul the air, while communities and families pay the price in asthma attacks, heart disease, and premature deaths.
“For decades, EPA’s own analyses have shown trillions of dollars of economic benefits from protecting public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act. No prior EPA or president has disputed this. These benefits came from strong health protections that vastly outweigh polluter compliance costs. The Trump administration has declared war on clean air, and it does not care about the casualties.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).