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Lyndsay AlexanderNational Assistant Vice President,

Healthy Air CampaignAmerican Lung Association

The Clean Air Act: A Key Tool to Address Climate Change and

Promote Health Equity

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Reflection Question: What is your “W”?

Why are you concerned about climate change?

Who are you fighting for?

What does success look like?

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The Clean Air Act - Reduces Pollution

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The Clean Air Act – Improves Health and Promotes Equity

Health Effect Reductions (Ozone and PM only)

2010 2020

Adult Mortality - particles 160,000 230,000Infant Mortality - particles 230 280Mortality - ozone 4,300 7,100Chronic Bronchitis 54,000 75,000Heart Disease - Acute Myocardial Infarction 130,000 200,000

Asthma Exacerbation 1,700,000 2,400,000Emergency Room Visits 86,000 120,000School Loss Days 3,200,000 5,400,000Lost Work Days 13,000,000 17,000,000

EPA Evaluation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

Source: US EPA. The Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act from 1990 to 2020: Summary Report. Feb 2011

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• U.S. Supreme Court (2007) Mass. v. EPA: Greenhouse gases meet the definition of "air pollutants" under the Clean Air Act.• Question: Do greenhouse gases endanger public health or welfare?

• U.S EPA (2009) Endangerment Finding • Answer: YES, greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate change,

which is a significant threat to public health and welfare.

• What sectors/sources can be regulated under the Clean Air Act? • Expansive, such that EPA voluntarily limited its reach to the biggest

sources of pollution

The Clean Air Act – Has Authority to Limit Greenhouse Gases

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Transportation28.9

Electricity27.5

Industry22.2

Agriculture9

Commercial 6.4

Residential5.1

Source: U.S. EPA

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, by Sector (2017)

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The Clean Air Act – Existing tools to Fight Climate Change

1) Transportation• Clean Cars Standards to improve fuel economy and limit

greenhouse gas emissions from:• Cars and light duty trucks • Medium and heavy duty vehicles - trucks, vans and buses

2) Power Sector• Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants resulted in 20

GW of coal plants shutting down• Carbon pollution limits for new and existing power plants • Methane and VOC limits for oil and gas sector

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The Clean Air Act – Under Fire for Decades

• Longstanding efforts to weaken Clean Air Act:• Eliminate the health-based air quality standard• Delay scientific reviews of air quality standards • Eliminate provisions that force old dirty facilities to update

pollution control devices if they upgrade facilities • Limit what studies can be used to weaken cost/benefit analysis

• Since 2010, proposals to gut EPA GHG authority:• Amend the CAA to exclude regulation of GHGs• Limit the use of EPA funds to regulate GHGs• Delay regulation of GHG emissions for years at a time.

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As Climate Momentum Grows: Two Cautionary Tales

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Who Loses if the Clean Air Act is Weakened? Everyone