Environmentalists Say Trump's Budget Cuts Will Make Philly Air Even Worse
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphians breathe the second smoggiest air in Northeast, according to the latest data released by the advocacy group, PennEnvironment. And it says President Trump's policies and budget cuts will lead to unhealthier air.
PennEnvironment's Ash Khayami says President Trump is taking an ax to important programs, that could help clean up our air, including a proposed 31 percent budget cut for the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Which is essentially a get out of jail free card for polluters," said Khayami.
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Khayami says Philadelphia had 97-days of elevated smog pollution, according to the most recent data from 2015. That's worst in the Commonwealth, and second worst in the entire northeast. And it had 212 days of elevated soot pollution.
"Philadelphia was ranked fifth nationally for the worst soot pollution in 2015," he said.
He also says Mr. Trump has instructed the EPA to rewrite the Clean Power Plan, which the group claims is the largest step the United States has ever taken to cut global warming pollution.