KANSAS MEETS NEW AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

Kansas is one of 30 states which has met the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new health-based standards for fine particle (PM2.5) air quality. Governor Kathleen Sebelius was notified today of the state's attainment status with standards set by EPA.

"We are pleased to have met these standards in every county across the state, putting our state in attainment and resulting in cleaner, safer air in Kansas," said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary, Roderick L. Bremby.

Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) can aggravate heart and lung diseases and has been associated with a variety of serious health problems including heart attacks, chronic bronchitis and asthma attacks. These particles are about 1/30 th the diameter of a human hair.

According to EPA, these standards will prevent at least : 15,000 premature deaths; 75,000 cases of chronic bronchitis; 10,000 hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular disease; hundreds of thousands of occurrences of aggravated asthma; and 3.1 million days when people miss work because they are suffering from symptoms related to particle pollution exposure.

For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/ or http://www.epa.gov/cleanair2004/or http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/

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