STATEMENT: Dr. Christopher Lillis on the Benefits of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Announcement to Limit Soot Pollution

December 14, 2012

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Contact: Madeline Meth
Phone: 202.741.6277
Email: mmeth@americanprogress.org

Washington, D.C. — Dr. Christopher Lillis, doctor of internal medicine and Board Member of Doctors for America, issued the following statement today in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to adopt stricter limits on soot pollution:

As a health professional, I commend the Environmental Protection Agency for finalizing an important rule that will result in innumerable benefits to public health. I have seen countless patients with emphysema and asthma whose health conditions have worsened due to soot pollution in our atmosphere. Reducing soot pollution also reduces tens of thousands of heart attacks. Today’s announcement is a breath of fresh air for doctors, asthma patients, and their loved ones.

Soot particles can lodge in the lungs when inhaled, causing serious health effects and increasing the risks of premature death, lung cancer, and asthma attacks. Putting a limit on emissions of particulate matter helps hold polluters accountable for the toxic chemicals that poison our air and leave people gasping.

To speak to Dr. Lillis, please contact Madeline Meth at mmeth@americanprogress.org or 202.741.6277.

Related resources:

• Ask the Expert: How Reducing Soot Pollution Can Save Lives by Dr. Christopher Lillis

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