our plea
AND,
DAVID A. BLANDINO, MD, CHAIR OF THE BOARD & CYNTHIA HUNDORFEAN, PRESIDENT/CEO, ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK
You know that Allegheny County is in the worst 2% of regions nationally for cancers caused by air pollution.
You know that our asthma rate among diverse groups of children living near major sources of industrial pollution such as the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works is nearly 3 times higher than the state and national average.
You know that Allegheny County is one of the worst counties in America for small-particle air pollution (PM2.5), which according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, poses a great risk to our health, and which research demonstrates leads to debilitating illnesses and premature death.
You know that a recent study reveals that a slight increase in small-particle air pollution leads to a big increase in deaths due to COVID-19.
In the 1940s, government and business leaders courageously forged a unified approach to mitigate the PM10 large-particle air pollution that gave Pittsburgh its reputation as the “Smoky City,” but today they are silent about PM2.5 pollution, which is an ever-present danger to our health and well-being.
With our growing high-tech sector, world-class universities and an outsized healthcare presence, we can be a leader in pushing solutions to the challenges posed by fossil-fueled industries that promote climate change, rather than one of our country’s largest contributors to the problem.
We call on you to take leadership to confront the crisis that we face, rather than profiting from the treatment of diseases that could be prevented through sensible community action.