EPA Awards Albuquerque over $763,047 to Reduce Air Pollution

From #EPA:

EPA Awards Albuquerque over $763,047 to Reduce Air Pollution

Contact: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

DALLAS – (May 5, 2016) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $763,047 to the city of Albuquerque to support the city’s air pollution reduction program. The grant will support attainment and maintenance of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, reduction of toxics emissions and implementation of air enforcement initiatives. 

Air pollution can affect heart health and even trigger heart attacks and strokes. That’s important information for the one in three Americans who have heart disease, and for the people who love them. In a recent study in Environmental Research, EPA scientists looked at data from NASA satellites and EPA ground-based air monitors, and confirmed that heart disease and heart attacks are more likely for individuals who live in places with higher air pollution. The study found that exposure to even small additional amounts of fine particle pollution averaged over a year could increase a person’s odds of a heart attack by up to 14 percent.

For more than forty years, the Clean Air Act has cut pollution as the U.S. economy has grown. It has also lowered levels of six common pollutants -- particles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide -- as well as numerous toxic pollutants. The progress of the Act reflects efforts by state, local and tribal governments; EPA; private sector companies; environmental groups and others.

To learn more about EPA’s activities in New Mexico: http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-new-mexico

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