Lung Association lobbies for stricter emissions standards in California

As the California Air Resources Board prepares to decide on emissions regulations that could increase fuel economy requirements of 2017 to 2025 model year vehicles, the state's American Lung Association is pushing regulators to adopt stricter standards.

In a recent report, the American Lung Association in California claims that the state could save $7.2 billion in health-related costs if more stringent emissions standards were to be adopted. The Lung Association says that, over the course of a year, approximately 400 premature deaths, 390 heart attacks, 8,000 asthma attacks, 180,000 upper-respiratory system medical cases and 36,000 missed work and school days would be avoided if California approved stricter standards that reduce vehicle emissions by half. That's a tall order, but Jane Warner, the ALA in California's chief executive officer, says that:

In California, almost half of our air pollution comes from cars and trucks. California leads the nation in standards for auto technology. Now, we must be the leaders again in setting stronger standards for cleaner vehicles.

Somehow, the American Lung Association in California has determined that each full tank of gas leads to $20 in health-related costs. That's not pain at the pump. Rather, it's pain that's sort of caused by the pump.

[Source: Auto Observer]