Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
urges the EPA to protect DeKalb County's air
quality
May 10, 2002
(Decatur, Georgia) In a letter to EPA
Region IV Administrator, James Palmer, Representative
McKinney requested the EPA to address the growing
problem of air pollution in her district and to
protect the environmental rights of her constituents.
"I do not believe that enough is being done to
safeguard the health of DeKalb's residents, especially
in light of recent air quality statistics. I am
deeply concerned that the residents of DeKalb
County are being subjected to dangerous cancer
risks that could be avoided," stated McKinney.
The American Lung Association in a report titled
State of the Air 2002, recently ranked DeKalb
County 16th on the list of the 25 most ozone-polluted
US counties. Air pollution has been known to cause
a variety of health problems, including bronchitis,
pneumonia, asthma, emphysema and cancer. According
to information compiled by Environmental Defense,
DeKalb County residents face a cancer risk more
than 100 times greater than the goal set by the
Clean Air Act.
"The people of DeKalb County must be afforded
environmental protections that safeguard our ability
to enjoy the outdoors without being concerned
with jeopardizing our health. The right to clean
air must be considered an unalienable right afforded
to us all, and I challenge the EPA to address
this growing problem with the urgency that it
requires. When it comes to our children, who are
especially susceptible to the negative effects
of air pollution, I believe we must be diligent
in our efforts to maintain an air quality level
that does not put their health and safety at risk.
It is not fair for our children to have to deal
with the environmental burdens that result from
our lack of planning and foresight, " concluded
Congresswoman McKinney.