1801 N Tryon St • Suite 326 • Charlotte NC 28206 • www.cleanaircarolina.org • o.704.342.9161 • f.704.405.4979 June 14, 2010
Dear North Carolina Elected Officials:
As leaders in public health, we urge you to take action to reduce diesel pollution in our state by supporting the adoption of clean construction policies. North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states and older, more polluting construction equipment is used on many local and state projects. The construction sector represents the largest source of land-based non-road diesel pollution and often operates in neighborhoods and other urban areas with large numbers of pedestrians. Nationally there are over two million pieces of construction equipment in use, most of which lack pollution controls.
The Problem
Diesel exhaust contains over 40 toxic air contaminants.1 Fine particles in the exhaust are linked to a wide variety of serious health effects, from upper and lower respiratory ailments such as asthma attacks and possible asthma onset, to heart attacks, stroke and premature death.2 In North Carolina, it’s estimated that diesel fine particles cause 279 premature deaths, 343 heart attacks, 178 cases of chronic bronchitis, and over 9,000 asthma attacks annually. Diesel pollution also contributes to over 38,000 missed workdays every year in North Carolina. The estimated monetized cost of health impacts to our state from diesel fine particles is $2.3 billion.3
The Solution
Cleaner diesel fuel and effective pollution control technologies are available today that can virtually eliminate all toxic fine particles from diesel engines. Commercial emission controls known as diesel particulate filters (DPFs), when combined with the use of widely available ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, can eliminate over 90% of fine particles from construction equipment.
In addition to reducing particle pollution, clean construction policies can include diesel engine repowers and replacements to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions which contribute to North Carolina’s ozone problems—another public health risk. Ozone pollution continues to be a serious problem in an
increasing number of counties, especially in our urban areas. Leadership is needed now from our elected officials to adopt policies that reduce harmful pollution and protect public health.
On behalf of the public health leaders signed below, we strongly urge you to adopt clean construction policies to improve air quality and protect the health of North Carolinians.
Sincerely,
Lawrence Raymond, MD ScM
Professor of Family Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC
1 Cal\EPA’s OEHHA and the ALA of CA. Health Effects of Diesel Exhaust. Page 1. http://oehha.ca.gov/public_info/facts/pdf/diesel4-02.pdf 2 Clean Air Task Force. Diesel Engines: Health and Environmental Impacts. V.2 Revised 2.2005. Page 2.
http://www.catf.us/publications/factsheets/Diesel_Health_and_Environment.pdf
3 Clean Air Task Force. Diesel & Health in America: Diesel Soot Health Impacts. Select North Carolina State.
1801 N Tryon St • Suite 326 • Charlotte NC 28206 • www.cleanaircarolina.org • o.704.342.9161 • f.704.405.4979 Dael Waxman, MD
Medical Director of Behavioral Medicine Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte, NC
Rita Heath-Singer, RCP, RRT Director of Cardiopulmonary Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC
Maeve O'Connor, MD, FACAAI Physician
Carolinas Asthma and Allergy Charlotte, NC
Meg Houlihan, Ph.D. Medical Psychologist Charlotte, NC
Jackie Butch RN, BSN, MSN
Clinical Care Coordinator, Nurse, Medicaid
Community Care Partners of Greater Charlotte Mecklenburg Charlotte, NC
Lori Van Horn, RN, MSN, CNOR OR Clinical Educator
Charlotte, NC
Camina Davis, MS, CHES Public Health Sciences, Lecturer UNC-Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Jessica Schorr Saxe, MD Physician
Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC Andrew Harver, Ph.D. Professor UNC-Charlotte Charlotte, NC Debbie Credle, RN, BSN
WakeMed Children's Asthma Program Raleigh, NC
1801 N Tryon St • Suite 326 • Charlotte NC 28206 • www.cleanaircarolina.org • o.704.342.9161 • f.704.405.4979 Daniel Murrey, MD, CEO
OrthoCarolina Charlotte, NC Dana Hershey, MD
Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants Charlotte, NC Jenni Mullendore, MD, MSPH Physician Asheville, NC Claudia C. Prose, MD, MPH Chapel Hill, NC
Sharon Caudle, RN, AE-C, BSN, BSW Educational Specialist, Clinical
WakeMed Children’s Asthma Program Raleigh, NC Richard Fireman, MD Retired Mars Hill, NC Lew Patrie,MD Chair
Western NC Physicians for Social Responsibility Asheville, NC Katherine Combs Rehabilitation Technician Carolians Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC Emily Diznoff, MD Physician
Asheville Family Medicine Asheville, NC Andrew Dews, MD Physician Arboretum Pediatrics Charlotte, NC Don Richardson, MD Pathologist Brevard, NC
1801 N Tryon St • Suite 326 • Charlotte NC 28206 • www.cleanaircarolina.org • o.704.342.9161 • f.704.405.4979 Ahmed A. Arif, Ph.D., C.P.H.
Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health Sciences UNC-Charlotte
Charlotte, NC Richard Winters
Built Environment, SRTS Coordinator Mecklenburg County Health Department Charlotte, NC
Pam Ellwood, FNP-C, AE-C
Cleveland County Health Department Cleveland County Asthma Coalition Shelby, NC
Stephen R. Keener, MD MPH Medical Director
Mecklenburg County Health Department Charlotte, NC
Cheryl Walker-McGill, MD, MBA President, Physician Researcher American Health Strategies Charlotte, NC
David T. Tayloe, Jr., MD, F.A.A.P. Pediatrician Goldsboro Pediatrics Goldsboro, NC Deborah Leiner, MD Pediatrician Greensboro, NC
Kathleen E. Lucas, MD, FAAP Pediatrician Lucas Pediatrics Greensboro, NC Donald R. Freund, MD Retired Charlotte, NC Marylou C. Freund, RN Retired Charlotte, NC
1801 N Tryon St • Suite 326 • Charlotte NC 28206 • www.cleanaircarolina.org • o.704.342.9161 • f.704.405.4979 Kathi J. Kemper, MD, MPH, FAAP
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Winston-Salem, NC
Lisa Springer, MD Physician
Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC
Hayes Woollen, MD Cotswold Medical Clinic Charlotte, NC
Joe Coyle, MD
Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants Lecturer, UNC Charlotte
