10/17/00
Davidson of UTC Speaks Out on Particle Pollution
Susan Davidson, Ed.D., RN, of the UTC School of Nursing, spoke on behalf of the American Lung Association yesterday when a new report was released which claims Chattanooga has the second highest premature death rate in the country from power plant fine particle pollution.
"Pollution from dirty power plants is a serious threat to public health," Davidson says. "More people die as a result of the pollution from these plants nationally than from drunk driving or homicides every year."
"Death, Disease and Dirty Power: Mortality and Health Damage Due to Air Pollution from Power Plants" is the latest report by Clear the Air, a national clean air campaign backed by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The report is based on research conducted by Abt Associates, a firm used by the Environmental Protection Agency to assess the health benefits of the agency's regulatory programs.
The report says Chattanooga has a rate of 49.3 deaths per 100,000 population as a result of power plant pollution.
To view the entire report, check www.cleartheair.org.