CAMPAIGN UPDATE: 29 June 2010

Mayor Johnson publishes health study with first official breakdown by ward across Greater London of his estimate of 4,267 premature deaths in 2008 attributable to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles

‘Clean Air in London’ estimate of up to 8,000 premature deaths also confirmed

Mayor Johnson has published his health study into the impact of poor air quality on Londoners. See:

http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Health_Study_%20Report.pdf

Quotes

Simon Birkett, Founder of the Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL), said:

“Mayor Johnson is to be congratulated for publishing (even belatedly) his health study with a breakdown for every ward across Greater London of his estimate of 4,267 premature deaths a year due partly to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles. This report paints a shocking picture of the Olympic city.

“Recognising the importance of this new information, the Mayor has today delayed by three weeks the closing date for the consultation on his draft Air Quality Strategy (draft AQS) until 13 August.

“For the first time every person, ward councillor and politician across London can see average levels of fine airborne particles in their ward and the premature deaths linked to it. The report also publishes a range of 756 to 7,965 with the ‘best’ estimate of 4,267 premature deaths. It confirms CCAL’s estimate of up to 8,000 premature deaths in London due to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles.

“This report makes clear the worst air quality and greatest legal breaches occur in inner London and near our busiest roads. For the first time though it shows that air pollution is a problem throughout London. It may therefore come as a surprise to some in outer London who thought air pollution was not their problem. I urge people to see what the health study shows for their local area.

“This report will have major ramifications for years to come. First, we need a major campaign to build public understanding of the health impact of poor air quality so people know how to protect themselves and reduce air pollution for everyone. Second, we need a much more ambitious air quality strategy from the Mayor (with urgent bold measures including much cleaner taxis, buses and one or more additional inner low emission zones (like the 40 Germany had by the end of last year)). Third the new Government must publish similar premature death estimates for the UK as a whole (in contrast to the failing or ‘cover-up’ by the previous Government, which steadfastly refused to do so), as demanded by Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee in March this year, and publish redacted information hiding details around legal action from the European Commission about UK breaches of air quality laws every year since 2005.

“Finally, Transport for London (TfL) which yesterday extended the consultation on the postponement of Phase 3 of the low emission zone (LEZ3) (due to ‘recent technical problems with the public consultation inbox’) by six days to 4 July must extend that consultation by a further three weeks or more to allow Londoners time to see this health study and object to the delay of this important measure intended to protect people across London.

“CCAL will continue pressing the Mayor and TfL to release other information relating to actual and possible breaches of air quality laws that should also have been published with each of the ongoing three consultations (LEZ3, draft AQS and removal of the western extension of the congestion charging zone).

“Dr Brian Miller, the author of the health study, must also be thanked and congratulated for this groundbreaking work.”

ENDS

Note:

The health impact of short-term and long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles is believed to overlap to some extent although long-term exposure causes many more premature deaths than short-term exposure. Premature deaths can also be caused by short-term exposure to sulphur dioxide and/or ozone.   more »

CAMPAIGN UPDATE: 3 June 2010


European Commission singles out United Kingdom with final written warning over levels of dangerous airborne particles (PM10) in London and Gibraltar

‘Clean Air in London’ warmly welcomes the European Commission’s action and says it must act as a wake-up call to the new Government which has already watered-down bold Liberal Democrat manifesto commitments on air quality

EU air quality laws for PM10, in legislation since 1999, have been breached in London every year since they entered into force in January 2005. Similar laws for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic gas, were breached in London within weeks of entering into force in January 2010. No sign of compliance before 2012 Olympics (or thereafter)


European Commission announcement

The European Commission is pursuing legal action against the UK for failing to comply with EU air quality standards for dangerous airborne particles (PM10). These particles, emitted mainly by industry, traffic and domestic heating, may have negative effects on health leading to asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death. A second and final written warning has been sent to the UK for still exceeding the limit values for PM10 in London and Gibraltar. See:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/687&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Final warning for UK over PM10 levels

Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “Air pollution is bad for our health. It reduces human life expectancy by more than eight months on average and by more than two years in the most polluted cities and regions. Member States must comply with EU air quality standards quickly and reduce air pollutant emissions.”

The Commission started this legal action because a number of zones in the UK were exceeding the PM10 limit values in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Commission is now sending a final warning to the UK for breaching EU air quality standards. According to the latest data (provided in September 2009), two areas, namely London and Gibraltar, exceeded the daily limit value for PM10 in 2008. Gibraltar also exceeded the annual mean limit value for PM10 in 2008.

This is the latest in a series of legal actions taken by the Commission against Member States following the entry into force in June 2008 of the new EU Air Quality Directive. The Directive allows Member States to request, under certain conditions and for specific parts of the country, limited extra time to meet the PM10 standards which have been in force since 2005.

First warning letters were sent at the beginning of 2009 to Member States that had not by then submitted notifications for time extensions or had not notified the Commission about all air quality zones exceeding the limit values for PM10. As a result, most Member States involved submitted notifications for a time extension.

The UK submitted an exemption request for eight zones including London. However, the Commission did not consider the exemption justified, as seven out of the eight zones already complied with the limit values. For London, the Commission considered that the UK had not shown that compliance with the daily PM10 limit value would be achieved by the time the exemption period expired in 2011. The UK has recently sent a further exemption request for London, which is still under assessment. However, given that zones still exceed the PM10 limit values, the Commission is sending the UK a final warning (Case number: 2008/2205). If the UK fails to take the necessary measures to comply with the legislation, the Commission could refer the case to the European Court of Justice.

Quotes

Simon Birkett, Founder of the Campaign for Clean Air in London, said:

“The Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL) warmly welcomes the European Commission’s much needed escalation of legal action against the UK for continuing to breach air quality laws that have been in legislation since 1999 and required to be met since January 2005.

“It is only surprising that the Commission has patiently waited more than 16 months to move from the first to the second stage of legal action. In future, it must escalate action much faster since UK government’s seem to understand nothing else.

“The dying act of the last Government, on 3 May 2010, was to reapply for a time extension until 2011 to comply with air quality laws for dangerous airborne particles when it must have known its new case is based on little more than the assertion “we expect to comply by 2011” (with the new Government, the Mayor and the European Commission set to take the blame when the UK breaches this standard in London in late 2011 as it surely will). Ridiculously, for example, the Government’s plan (lodged on 3 May) assumed that: Phase 3 of the low emission zone (LEZ3) will be postponed until 2012 (i.e. pre-judging a consultation on a planned measure); and the western extension of the congestion charge zone (WEZ) will remain (i.e. not pre-judging a consultation on the removal of a successful existing measure on which the Mayor has (rashly) ‘staked his colours’). CCAL will be urging the Commission to reject the UK’s reapplication.

“Will the new Government continue to claim litigation privilege to stop the disclosure of redacted sections of ministerial briefing papers after rulings by the Information Commissioner’s Office and more recently the Information Tribunal? Even the Government admits that those redacted sections, if disclosed, could undermine its ability to defend itself against the Commission’s legal action which has been escalated today. What is the Government hiding?

“The Mayor of London is no better: his draft Air Quality Strategy is riddled with wishful thinking; and he continues deliberately to take backward steps on air quality, particularly in respect of transport, when rapid leaps forward are required. In that respect, for example, the removal of the WEZ would be a ‘double whammy’ because air quality will worsen and Transport for London will lose over £55m of net income. The best thing the Mayor has done on air quality is to tell us the scale of the problem - 4,300 premature deaths per year in London due, at least in part, to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles. And he still refuses to say how that number is calculated or release ward by ward and borough by borough breakdowns as CCAL has requested under Freedom of Information rules. Why has the Mayor quietly extended the deadline for responses to his draft Air Quality Strategy from 20 June to 23 July 2010?

“The Commission’s action is a welcome warning shot across the bows of the incoming coalition Government that committed weakly, in its coalition document, to “work towards full compliance with European Air Quality standards” i.e. without acknowledging any responsibility for complying with these laws and with no deadline specified. At least the Liberal Democrat manifesto had said “We will aim to fully meet European air quality targets by 2012”. Where are those bold words now?

“Let’s not forget either that the UK breached air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic gas, for a whole year in London within weeks of the 1999 standard entering into legal force in January 2010.

“We need: the Government to respond immediately by publishing national and regional estimates for the number of premature deaths due to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles (as the House of Commons cross-party Environmental Audit Committee demanded in March this year); and the Government and the Mayor to introduce urgently meaningful measures that will tackle a problem causing more early deaths than alcoholism, obesity or passive smoking. Action now would have the added benefit of kick-starting green industries.

“We have only UK political leaders to blame for: today’s final written warning from the European Commission; and the wasteful prospect, in due course after Court action, of unlimited lump sum and daily fines that could total £300 million.”   more »