NEWS: Senators Blunt Rochester, Duckworth Re-Introduce Bill to Protect Clean Air, Advance Public Health

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) today re-introduced the Public Health Air Quality Act, legislation that will increase air pollution monitoring and improve public health. Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by industrial and environmental pollutants. This legislation will help provide the right data and tools to deliver clean air across the country. The Senators introduced their bill to mark the anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which was signed into law on December 17, 1963. The Public Health Air Quality Act is being led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Troy Carter (D-La.-2) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20).

"For years, under-resourced communities have been forced to live near pollutants, exposing them to serious health risks. This bill represents an important step toward combating toxic air quality and improving the data and tools necessary to prevent more public harm," said Senator Blunt Rochester, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "Our Public Health Air Quality Act protects families and ensures that your zip code does not determine your air quality. As we mark the anniversary of the Clean Air Act, I am proud to be standing with Senator Duckworth to reintroduce this bill. I look forward to working with Congressmen Carter and Tonko to move this legislation forward and advance environmental justice across the nation."

"For too long, our most toxic industries have been put next door to low-income communities and communities of color-forcing these communities to shoulder the devastating health consequences of legacy air pollution and other environmental injustices, including alarming rates of cancer and asthma," said Senator Duckworth. "The Public Health Air Quality Act would help better protect these vulnerable families by strengthening our national air monitoring system. Every American in every community deserves to breathe safe air-no matter their skin color, zip code, or the size of their wallet."

"For far too long, Black, brown, and low-income neighborhoods have been forced to bear the brunt of toxic air pollution with little transparency or accountability," said Congressman Carter. "The Public Health Air Quality Act is about environmental justice at its core: giving communities the data, monitoring, and protections they deserve so that no child's health or life expectancy is determined by their zip code. Clean air is not a privilege-it is a fundamental right, and this legislation moves us closer to delivering that promise for every family in America,

"We know the harm caused by poor air quality: increased risk of cancer, asthma, childhood mortality, the list goes on," said Congressman Tonko. "We also know that black and brown communities, and low-income communities are the most likely to be burdened with the worst impacts of toxic air pollutants. It is incumbent on Congress to take action to protect public health and improve air quality, which is why I'm proud to join my colleagues to introduce this legislation that bolsters air monitoring in the communities that need it most and ensures the air we breathe is clean and safe."

The Public Health Air Quality Act:

• Requires EPA to implement fenceline monitoring to track toxic air pollutants linked to high local cancer risks and other acute and chronic health threats, including neurodevelopmental impacts in early life, based on the best available science, and proximity to places like schools where children and families spend time.
• Ensures that fenceline monitoring and continuous emissions monitoring are integrated as core components of national air standards for chemical, petrochemical, and other sources of toxic air pollution linked with some of the most serious illnesses and health concerns.
• Requires a rapid expansion of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) monitoring network through the addition of at least 180 new air quality monitoring stations, including stations in communities where this is most needed.
• Deploys at least 1,000 new air quality sensors in communities facing unhealthy air to boost and complement the NAAQS monitoring network and enhance communities' access to information.

In addition to Senators Blunt Rochester and Duckworth, the Public Health Air Quality Act is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

The Public Health Air Quality Act is endorsed by the American Lung Association, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the Respiratory Health Association, RISE St. James Louisiana, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Moms Clean Air Force, Earthjustice Action, EDF Action, the Sierra Club, California Communities Against Toxics, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, GreenLatinos, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), the Hoosier Environmental Council, RiSE4EJ, the Environmental Integrity Project, Concerned Citizens of St. John, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Clean Air Task Force, the Rio Grande International Study Center, the League of Conservation Voters, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

A one pager on the bill is available here. A section-by-section summary is available here. Full text is available here.

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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.