On Earth Day, Trump is Continuing Attacks on Clean Air Amid Pandemic

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Florida Democratic Party Chair and the President of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida point out that in the middle of a health crisis caused by a respiratory disease, Donald Trump has rolled back pollution standards.

A study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that people who live in areas with more air pollution have significantly higher Covid-19 death rates. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, Trump and his EPA have rolled back Obama-era fuel economy standards and refused to increase air quality standards for soot, a pollutant considered to be the ‘country’s most widespread deadly pollutant.’

Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo

“Donald Trump is a threat to our health and our environment. His reckless leadership continues to worsen the coronavirus pandemic and his administration’s latest attacks on clean air are quite literally putting more lives at risk. We truly cannot afford another four years of these destructive policies.”

Dr. Janelle Christensen, PhD, MPH, President, Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida

“This is just one more way in which Trump is making the Covid-19 pandemic worse: making it easier to pollute our air. Despite plenty of research suggesting that people who live in polluted areas are more likely to die from Covid-19, the Trump administration has rolled back our fuel economy standards and refused to strengthen national air quality standards. This is reckless and we must hold Trump accountable for dirtying our air during a respiratory disease pandemic.”