Number: 1981-35
WHEREAS, the quality of the Nation’s air is vital to the protection of fish and wildlife habitat, human health and welfare, and the Nation’s economic well-being; and
WHEREAS, there exists strong evidence that air pollution contributes to the three major types of chronic disease that kill millions of people: heart disease, lung disease and cancer; and
WHEREAS, there exists strong evidence that acid rain produced by emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides has devastated aquatic life in many hundreds of freshwater lakes in the Northeastern and Midwestern parts of the United States, Canada, and across the world; but there exists no federal or state program to control this acid rain; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, 538 counties violated the federal health standard for ozone, 395 counties violated the health standard for particulate matter, and 161 counties violated the health standard for carbon monoxide; and
WHEREAS, numerous dangerous air pollutants have yet to be regulated by the federal or state government; including fine particulates and dozens of “hazardous air pollutants;” and
WHEREAS, the 97th Congress will have under review all of the major regulatory provisions of the Federal Clean Air Act, and will be under strong pressure to significantly relax measures aimed at protecting air quality;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 26-29, 1981, in Norfolk, Virginia, hereby urges the Congress of the United States to reauthorize a strong and effective Clean Air Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the Congress of the United States to maintain provisions of the Clean Air Act aimed at establishing ambient air quality standards based on levels necessary to protect human health, and preventing the significant deterioration of air quality particularly in national parks and wilderness areas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the Congress of the United States to: (1) establish a strong program for the elimination of acid rain and other interstate and transboundary air pollution including retrofitting existing power plants for sulfur oxide control where appropriate; (2) improve the program for bringing toxic air pollutants under control; (3) set a schedule for the prompt regulation of fine particulate and hazardous air pollutants; and (4) set an expeditious schedule for reducing emissions from uncontrolled existing stationary sources of pollution.