Clean Air

Sep 4 17:38 UTC 1997

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Enviro-Mich message from davemec@sojourn.com (Dave Dempsey)
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A report released by Governor Engler's Michigan Environmental Science
Board last month ran to one headline saying it found no scientific support
for the new EPA clean air standards for soot and smog. 

What the news coverage, and the report itself failed to make clear is that
a minority statement included in the document generally supporting the
need for the tougher standards was initiated by the only two physicians on
the panel, Drs. Ken Rosenman and Raymond Demers.  They said: 

"There is general consensus in the scientific community that current
particulate and ozone air pollution levels increase heart and lung related
dysfunction and death.  The [majority] report downplays this consensus and
overemphasizes areas of disagreement." 

They also found that "almost all human studies performed show an increase
in mortality and morbidity for current levels of air pollution," "there
are no animal studies of particulates which have been conducted which
contradict the adverse effect found in studies on people," and a Natural
Resources Defense Council report estimating (when revised) 45,000
premature deaths per year from particulate pollution was based on an
"accepted and probably conservative procedure." 

Copies of the report, including the minority statement, are available at
517-373-4960. 

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