Improving Life, One Breath at a Time

1. Improving Life, One Breath at a Time Terry Hargrove Director of Community Relations 1-800-LUNG-USA www.lungusa.org

2. Air Quality State of the Air Report 2006 Knowledge of Impact on Health Growing Unique Impacts on Children

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

4. What is Ozone Pollution? Sometimes called smog Created in the atmosphere NOx + VOCs + + = Ozone (O3)

5. 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

6. OZONE POLLUTION • Health effects include: • Coughing and wheezing • Asthma attacks • Reduced lung function • Chest pain • Birth defects • Premature death

7. Particle Pollution Image box Fine particles are so small they bypass the body’s natural defenses and penetrate some of the most fragile parts of the lung, causing serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

8. 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

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

10. 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 Commission’s efforts to achieve further reductions in air pollution from stationary sources beyond CAIR www.lungusa.org

11. 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

12. Protect our Kids from Dirty Diesel Image box • 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

13. Clean Up Our Fleet Image box • 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

14. Contact Information Terry Hargrove Director of Community Relations 9221 Forest Hill Avenue Richmond, VA 23235 804-267-1900 ext. 125 thargrove@lungva.org www.lungusa.org

15. 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.