By Gracyna Mohabir, Clean Air and Energy Regulatory Advocate
The Connection Between Air Pollution and Asthma
Air pollution can come from a variety of sources in our everyday lives–cars, trucks, trains, and even the appliances we use to heat and cool our homes. These emit gases and small particles that are invisible to the naked eye but have severe impacts on how we breathe. Included among these are nitrogen oxide (NOx), ozone, and particulate matter (PM), all of which can exacerbate or cause asthma. We know this not only from lab studies, but from observing the increased rates of asthma in communities near transportation-heavy areas like freeways and ports.
California’s Solutions to Air Pollution
Policies that reduce air pollution have been critical to reduce asthma-related risks. The biggest of these is the federal Clean Air Act (1963), which established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for certain air pollutants. The Clean Air Act also allows California to enforce higher standards for air quality than the federal government does, and many states follow suit to adopt California’s stronger regulations. This has opened the door for critical wins like California’s Advanced Clean Cars and Fleets programs. By addressing emissions from vehicles that rely on diesel, a major cause of air pollution, we should see substantial reduction in pollutants like NOx and PM. These programs are intended to reduce both global warming and direct health impacts like asthma, lung cancers, and heart problems.
There are still things California can do to protect individuals at risk of developing or who currently have asthma:
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), which includes Los Angeles, is responsible for regulating air quality for around half of all Californians. There are several policies the South Coast AQMD is currently deliberating on that could deliver profound health benefits to its residents:
One pair of rules would address NOx emissions from gas-fired furnaces and water heaters. The South Coast AQMD estimates that if passed, this rule could prevent 10,200 cases of newly onset asthma!
Another rule would reduce the emissions from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. For context, 31% of all shipping containers that enter the US through international waterborne trade come through this complex. These ports act as an “emissions hotspot” for various types of transportation—ships, trucks, trains, and cargo handling equipment—all of which need to be properly supported in California’s clean energy transition. Right now, the rules we have don’t do enough to get us to the emissions targets we need to improve community health outcomes, and this new rule would help close the gap.
At the state level, Assembly Bill AB 914 (Robert Garcia) is being introduced in the legislature to help the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulate emissions more effectively. CARB is the state’s lead air quality regulatory agency, and this law would provide CARB with the tools to implement a “statewide indirect source rule” that would let them more effectively address pollution from “emissions hotspots” like ports.
The Challenges We Face Today
In this uncertain federal environment, several of California’s landmark clean vehicle laws are under attack via illegal application of the Congressional Review Act. Losing these laws would have a devastating impact on public health and air quality. California’s Heavy-Duty Omnibus Low NOx Rule, which would gradually ramp up restrictions on a key pollutant from new heavy-duty vehicles, was overturned by the House of Representatives. It was estimated to prevent 3,900 premature deaths and 3,150 hospitalizations statewide over the life of the rule (2024 – 2050), which is $36.8 billion in health benefits.
Moreover, our landmark laws like Advanced Clean Fleets, which would transition bus and truck fleets to zero emission vehicles, have been subjected to piecemeal attacks through state legislation that would undermine the impact of the rule.
At the federal level, we must urge our leaders to fight against these unprecedented attacks in Congress. At the state level, we must preserve the integrity of our regulations so we can see these intended air quality and health benefits through.
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