I was pleased to read “Connecticut Democrats push bills to reduce transportation emissions, boost electric vehicles” [courant.com, March 9]. Kudos to the General Assembly for considering important legislation to address Connecticut’s air quality.
Did you know the state has failed to meet federal health-based air quality standards for ground-level ozone or smog for nearly a half-century?
As physicians, we see the effects every day on our patients. Poor air quality actually worsens acute and chronic respiratory problems like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung diseases and in some cases leads to death.
According to a report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation Asthma Capitals 2021, two Connecticut cities were among the 100 largest U.S. cities where it is most challenging to live with asthma — New Haven (No. 5) and Hartford (No. 17). Now consider that transportation is a leading cause of air quality problems, responsible for 67% of the nitrogen oxide emissions — a major component of smog.
By passing the vehicle standards included in HB 5039, Connecticut will begin to address the negative health consequences of our poor air quality, reducing premature deaths and hospital visits, and avoiding more than 57,000 minor illnesses.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, these improved health outcomes will save Connecticut nearly $1.2 billion. Connecticut should fast-track these bills — the health of our patients depends on it.
Dan Freess, West Hartford