TFAH Statement on the Final Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards: Important for the Nation's Health

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Mar 03, 2014, 10:00 ET

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) on the final tier 3 motor vehicle emission and fuel standards released by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) today.

"TFAH is pleased the EPA issued final tier 3 motor vehicle emissions and fuel standards. There's no question that reducing the amount of sulfur in gasoline and requiring new cars to be cleaner will be better for our health.

According to the American Lung Association, these standards could save 2,000 lives annually, prevent 19,000 asthma attacks and result in 1.4 million fewer school and work sick days. Also, the sulfur reductions and cleaner gasoline alone would reduce pollution the same amount as taking 33 million cars and light trucks off the road.

The tier 3 motor vehicle emissions and fuel standards are one of the most cost-effective tools for fighting ground-level ozone and protecting communities from the adverse health effects – asthma attacks, worsened COPD, impaired lung function and premature deaths – associated with vehicle tailpipe pollution.

Children – who are at higher health risks from pollution because their lungs are still developing and they spend more time outdoors – should also see great health benefits from the new standards.

Today's announcement is an important step – but it's also a reminder that we need to keep moving forward on all aspects of the Clean Air Act. It is one of the most important public health laws in recent history, but its promise can only be realized if we keep the proverbial pedal to the metal to get all of its provisions over the finish line."

Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

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SOURCE Trust for America's Health