Better Air for Young Lungs

In 1996, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report raising serious concerns about the quality of air and “how children’s health is directly and uniquely affected by the environment.” That was enough to spur Martha Escutia, then a California assemblywoman and a recent mother, to action.

The EPA report left no doubt that “children face an array of complex environmental threats to their health--from asthma-inducing air pollution to toxic chemicals.”

With the vulnerabilities of children in mind and to reduce environmental hazards near schools and day-care centers, Escutia introduced legislation to toughen California’s air and water health standards. Her bill passed the Legislature, only to be vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Now a state senator, Escutia (D-Whittier) has returned to the issue with a more sharply focused bill that has a better chance to become law. The measure would require the California Air Resources Board and the Office of Health Hazard Assessment to review existing air quality standards and toxic air contaminants and determine whether state criteria adequately protect infants and children, who are more susceptible to toxins than are adults.

The ARB would develop a pilot program in six air-quality hot spots to assess in detail the amount of pollutants that children are breathing. The end result could be an overhaul of state environmental safety standards.

The Air Resources Board has estimated that to expand its monitoring program could cost approximately $15 million over five years. Gov. Gray Davis’ new budget contains more than $2 million for the ARB to test air quality in the Fresno area. An additional $1 million for Escutia’s bill would be enough to launch the program’s first year. Other mothers will no doubt agree with Escutia that it’s a good way to spend some public dollars.