Washington, DC – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards, which will reduce the sulfur content in gasoline and reduce pollution from tailpipes.
EPA estimates that the standards will annually prevent as many as 2,000 premature deaths, 30,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, and 1.4 million lost school days, work days, and days when activities would be restricted due to air pollution by 2030. Total health benefits from the standards are between $6.7 and $19 billion annually. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee’s Clean Air Subcommittee, released the statement below applauding the announcement:
“EPA’s new Tier 3 standards are a major victory for public health. It means cleaner gasoline and cleaner vehicles, which will reduce the dangerous air pollution from cars that contribute to ‘bad air days.’ These standards will prevent thousands of premature deaths and provide relief to seniors, children, and the 11 percent of Rhode Islanders who suffer from asthma.”
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