Archived press release

Foe blows away prescott's pollution smokescreen

25 August 1999

. Mr Prescott says last year marked 'the biggest improvement in air quality' since records began in 1993. Yet FOE evidence shows that in most places there have already been more exceedances of the Government health standard for summertime smog in 1999 to date than in the whole of 1998 [1], showing that last year's improvement may only be temporary.

. Mr Prescott has proposed weakening the target for small particles, which cause 8,100 premature deaths every year and has proposed maintaining a weak target for ozone, another big potential killer, responsible for up to 12,500 premature deaths every year [2].

. Mr Prescott says he has brought in 'earlier targets' for four pollutants. Yet his own Strategy shows targets for these pollutants will be met by the new target year anyway, largely as a result of measures agreed in Brussels [3].

Tony Bosworth, Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

“John Prescott promised us a right to clean air, but is hiding the relaxation of a key air pollution target in a smokescreen of misleading information. Thousands of people could die early and tens of thousands could suffer as a result. What we need is tough pollution targets and further action to cut traffic levels”.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] FOE analysis of Government monitoring data shows that, at 57 out of 70 monitoring sites for ozone, there have already been more exceedances of the Government's health standards in 1999 than during the whole of last year.

[2] Mr Prescott is allowing the 24-hour 50 .g/m3 standard for small particles to be exceeded 35 times each year in 2004, whereas previous targets allowed no more than four exceedances by the end of 2005. Small particles are believed to lead to 8,100 premature urban deaths every year (1.9% of all deaths in urban areas).

Mr Prescott is saying the target of only 10 exceedances of the eight-hour 50 parts per billion standard for ozone (to be achieved by the end of 2005) will only be'provisional'. Local councils will not be required to take steps to ensure it is met.Ozone may lead to up to 12,500 premature deaths.

[3] Targets are being brought forward for four pollutants: benzene, 1,3-butadiene,carbon monoxide and lead. However, the draft Strategy reveals that the four targets to be brought will be met anyway:

For benzene

'... the objective is not likely to be exceeded at any urban or rural background location in the UK' [A23]

'by 2003, the 5 ppb running annual mean concentration will be achieved at the roadside of all major roads in the UK' [A34]

For 1,3-butadiene

'the 1 ppb running annual mean concentration will be achieved in all rural and urban background locations across the UK' [A45]

'by about 2003, the 1 ppb running annual mean concentration will be achieved next to all roads in the UK with existing policy measures' [A48]

For carbon monoxide

'maximum 8-hour carbon monoxide concentrations in urban background locations in 1998 were already well within the objective for 2003' [A55]

'no road links [are] expected to have 8-hour concentrations greater than 10 ppm by 2002.... No road links are expected to have concentrations greater than 10 ppm in 2003 for extreme meteorological conditions'.

For lead

'Policies already in place ... are expected to ensure that levels of lead in air will be... well below the Strategy objective of 0.25 .g/m3 as an annual mean' [A61]

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust