Health group to White House: Ignore industry smog appeal

The American Lung Association is urging White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley to cast aside a powerful business group’s bid to scuttle the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) upcoming smog standards, alleging it would lead to pollution-related deaths.

The group's Monday letter to Daley follows last week’s Business Roundtable effort to convince Daley to override EPA’s upcoming rule that toughens ozone standards that the Bush administration issued in 2008.

“To be plain, the delay being sought by the Business Roundtable and their allies means more Americans will get sick and more will die due to exposure of unhealthful levels of air pollution,” writes American Lung Association CEO Charles Connor in the Monday letter.

His letter states that “scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports a more protective ozone standard.”

The direct appeals to Daley demonstrate that the smog rules have become a top priority for industry and public-health lobbyists alike.

The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the upcoming final rules, which have been delayed repeatedly.

The Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups — which claim the rules will harm the economy — also made their case to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in a meeting last week.