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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2002

CONTACT:
Wendy Balazik, 202-675-2383

SIERRA CLUB HAILS RULING ON CLEAN AIR ACT

Washington, DC: Children and people suffering from asthma and other lung
diseases will breathe a little easier after a court ruling today that will
help protect people from pollution.  The DC Court of Appeals upheld the air
quality standards set five years ago by U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency  (EPA) to protect public health from soot and smog.  The Sierra Club
hailed today's ruling as a major victory for kids, asthma sufferers and
Americans everywhere who breathe dirty air.

"Today the DC Court stood up to protect the more than 100 million Americans
who continue to breathe unhealthy air," said Ed Hopkins, Director of Sierra
Club's Environmental Quality Program.  "The 1997 soot and smog standards
upheld by the Court today will provide greater protection to children and
people with asthma and other lung diseases, who are particularly vulnerable
to dangerous soot and smog.  The new soot standard will save more than
10,000 lives each year by cutting air pollution. We urge EPA to move
quickly to implement these vital standards."

As part of updating the Clean Air Act to reflect current scientific
knowledge, the Clinton Administration in 1997 announced new health-based
air standards for soot and smog. Soon after the new health-based air
quality standards were finalized, a group of polluters, led by the American
Trucking Association, filed a lawsuit to halt these efforts to clean the
air. On May 14, 1999, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the EPA,
leaving the fate of the new standards in limbo.  In February 2001, the
Supreme Court rejected industry-led challenges to the way the standards are
set, but left open the question of whether the standards were acceptable.

"Efforts to destroy the soot and smog standards, led by the American
Trucking Association, were part of industry's on-going attempts to weaken
clean air protections over the last 30 years. This is a huge victory for
kids, asthma sufferers and for the Clean Air Act, sending a clear message
that polluters need to clean up their act," explained Hopkins.   "The EPA
now must step forward to take action to cut pollution and protect all
Americans from dirty air."

              # # #

For the latest environmental news, please visit
http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/.


Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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