New U.S. Air Quality Rule Could Save Lives: Report
A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule to reduce levels of ozone and atmospheric soot in emissions from power plants could save thousand of lives a year and save $100 billion in health costs annually, the Washington Post reported.
The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), unveiled Thursday, could also prevent millions of lost workdays caused each year by pollution-related health problems such as asthma, and heart attacks, the newspaper reported.
The EPA estimates that by 2015 the new rule will prevent 17,000 premature deaths, 1.7 million lost workdays, 22,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 12,300 hospital admissions and 500,000 lost school days each year.
CAIR is meant to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power plants in 28 eastern and midwestern states and the District of Columbia. It's the most significant move to improve air quality standards since the Clean Air Act was last amended in 1990, officials said.
Many power plants in those areas will have to install new scrubbers and other emissions-reducing equipment in order to adhere to CAIR, which will be phased in over the next decade. Plants that can't meet their deadlines will be able to purchase credits from plants that are ahead of schedule, the Post reported.
"The action we are taking will require all 28 states to be good neighbors, helping states downwind by controlling airborne emissions at their source," said EPA Acting Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
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