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REDUCING AIR TOXICS IN YOUR
COMMUNITY
WHY SHOULD YOU BE
CONCERNED ABOUT AIR TOXICS?
Air toxics, also known as "hazardous air
pollutants," are known or suspected to
cause cancer or other serious health effects,
such as reproductive problems, birth
defects, and aggravated asthma. These
pollutants can also harm plants and
animals. Some of these compounds (like
asbestos) may persist in the environment
and become more concentrated over time.
WHERE DO AIR TOXICS COME
FROM?
Air toxics can come from both outdoor and
indoor sources. Most outdoor air toxics
originate from manmade sources, including
mobile sources (cars, buses, trucks, trains,
and ships) and stationary sources (factories,
refineries, power plants, dry cleaners,
painting and agricultural production).
Some air toxics, such as radon, are released
from earth and rock, as well as from some
building materials.
Indoor sources of air toxics include vapor
releases from new building materials such as
carpeting, tobacco smoke, and some
consumer products like household cleaners and
pesticides.
Since we spend such a large portion of our
time indoors, indoor air can be a significant
contributor to air toxics exposures.
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE AIR TOXICS?
At home or work:
• Avoid smoking indoors.
• Have your home tested for radon and fixed, if
high levels are indicated.
• Avoid excess use of pesticides and follow the
manufacturer's directions for application and
disposal.
• Minimize use of household cleaning products
and follow use and disposal directions.
• Keep containers of home, workshop and
garden chemicals tightly sealed; dispose of
empty or outdated products properly.
• Use paints with lower volatile organic
compounds (VOC) content.
• Use products that emit fewer toxic chemicals,
such as wood products with less
formaldehyde.
• If your home was built before 1979, have the
paint tested for lead.
• If your home is over 20 years old, have it
checked for asbestos and have any asbestos
removed by certified technicians.
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• Conserve electricity to help reduce air
pollution caused by power plants.
• Participate in your local utility's
energy conservation programs.
• Look for the Energy Star label when
buying home and office equipment.
• Use gas logs instead of wood. If you use
a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert,
make sure it meets EPA design
specifications. Burn only dry, seasoned
wood.
To find out what you can do to reduce air
pollution, visit www. epa. gov/air/actions/.
You can also learn about Tools for Schools,
the Smoke-Free Homes Program, and
testing your home for radon at:
www.epa.gov/iaq/ or call EPA's Indoor Air
Quality hotline at 1-800-438-4318.
In your car:
• Avoid smoking in your car
• Buy a fuel-efficient car.
• Combine errands to drive as few miles as
possible; car pool, use public
transportation, bike, or walk.
• Limit idling your car while waiting in
lines.
• Accelerate gradually and avoid sharp
braking.
• Keep your vehicle properly tuned.
To learn more, visit the Green Vehicles
website at www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.
WHAT IS EPA DOING TO REDUCE AIR
TOXICS?
National Efforts:
• EPA has issued a number of rules to control
emissions of air toxics from many large
industrial and commercial operations like
refineries and chemical plants. Once fully
implemented, these rules will reduce annual
emissions of nearly 200 different air toxics by
about 1.7 million tons (from 1990 emissions).
• EPA is working on rules to reduce emissions
from smaller, but numerous operations, like
paint stripping and autobody paint shops. To
learn more about EPA's air toxics rules, see
"Taking Toxics Out of the Air" brochure at
www.epa. gov/ttn/atw.
• In addition, EPA is developing rules to
reduce diesel emissions and other toxic air
emissions from vehicles such as cars, trucks,
planes, trains, and construction equipment.
• EPA has developed many national voluntary
programs to reduce air toxics and exposure to
air toxics from mobile, stationary, and indoor
sources. Here are a few examples:
Clean School Bus USA is an EPA-sponsored
voluntary program to reduce school children's
exposure to air toxics and other pollution from
school-bus emissions
of air toxics, particle
pollution and nitrogen
oxides by replacing the
oldest buses with new,
cleaner buses and by
installing equipment to
control pollution
emissions on other
diesel buses. For
more information, visit
www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.
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The Smoke-Free Home Pledge
Campaign, another EPA-sponsored
voluntary program, supports local
organizations in reducing secondhand
smoke exposure to children. Parents and
caregivers are informed of the harmful
health effects of secondhand smoke and
encouraged to make their homes and cars
smoke free.
For more information, visit
www.epa.gov/sniokefree/communitv.html.
Smoke-Free Home
•go out for your kids
I-66*-SMOKE" FREE
Localized Approaches:
Although national efforts to reduce air
toxics will continue to be essential, more
localized approaches may be needed in
some cities. That is why EPA is working
with over thirty communities to gain a
better understanding of their local air
quality and to help reduce problem
pollution sources.
Each community situation and approach is
unique. However in each project the
emphasis is on collaboration, shared
resources, and citizen participation, to
address whatever sources of pollution -
large and small, mobile and stationary -
indoor and outdoor - may be affecting the
community. Some communities encourage
car pooling, safer chemicals to use around
the home or workplace, and making more
informed consumer choices.
WAYS TO START UP OR BECOME
INVOLVED IN A COMMUNITY-BASED
PROJECT.
Contact your state, tribal, local, or regional
environmental agency to get connected with
area efforts and issues.
For contact information, see our website at
www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive.htm
EXAMPLE COMMUNITY PROJECTS:
New Haven, CT - The Community Clean
Air Initiative
Background: For years, New Haven, has had
a high rate of hospital and emergency room
admissions for asthma. New Haven has a
number of industrial facilities, two major
highways, and an active shipping harbor.
Collectively, the pollution from these different
sources pose potential health risks.
Participants and Actions:
The City of New Haven developed an
inventory of local sources of air toxics
emission. Using this inventory, health,
environment and business organizations
developed an emissions reduction plan to:
• reduce diesel emissions from trucks and
buses;
• promote smart growth and non-motorized
transportation;
• improve indoor air quality in schools;
• work with smaller sources such as degreasing
facilities and printers to reduce pollution; and
• incorporate environmental issues into city
land-use planning.
New Haven is also working to increase the
community's understanding of the health
impacts from air toxics and other air pollutants.
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Cleveland, OH - The Cleveland Clean
Air Century Campaign
Background: A number of organizations in
Cleveland are working to resolve toxic air
pollution concerns from a mix of industrial,
transportation-related and indoor sources.
They are working to make substantial
pollution reductions in their community, to
be sustainable over time, and to be
replicable in other communities.
Participants and Actions: Representatives
from neighborhoods, businesses, and
government agencies have teamed to
develop and implement an action plan to
reduce air toxics emissions. As a result,
Cleveland has now implemented several
programs to reduce the air pollution from
diesel vehicles (buses, trucks and
construction equipment) used by two school
districts and one municipality. They have
conducted anti-idling campaigns, held gas
can exchange events, and worked with
chromium electroplaters to further reduce air
toxics. For more information, see
http://www.ohiolung.org/ccacc.htm.
To learn more about completed and ongoing
projects, see EPA's Air Toxics Community
Assessment and Risk Reductions Project
website at:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/urban/urbanpg.html.
St. Louis, MO - The St. Louis
Community Air Project
Background: The project's goal is
"Healthier Air for St. Louis!" through
regulatory and voluntary air toxics
reduction measures.
Participants and Actions: A partnership
of neighborhood associations, service
providers, universities, local businesses,
environmental groups, representatives of
local, State and Federal governments came
together to work on this project. The initial
emphasis was to monitor and analyze air
quality. The participants used health
information to establish 'benchmarks' to
evaluate their air pollution data. The
second emphasis is on community
involvement and education, including the
use of its website, www.stlcap.org. and
public libraries.
EPA-453/F-04-001
October 2004
Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable chlorine free paper
with 100% post-consumer fiber using vegetable oil-
based ink.
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