Letter to the Editor: Ahdoot on Weakening the Clean Air Act

To the editor,

The House recently passed two bills that threaten the public health by blocking and delaying the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to protect the air we breathe.

As a pediatrician, I see children every day who suffer from the effects of breathing air pollution. From severe asthma attacks requiring hospitalization to chronic wheezing that affects school attendance and sports participation, air pollution is a major contributor to pediatric lung disease.  

It is harmful not only to children with asthma but also to young infants who may suffer permanent lung damage as a result.  

The fight to defend healthy air is far from over. We need to continue to support the EPA and its essential work to protect the air we breathe.

Families should thank Rep. Jim Moran for standing up against these destructive bills intended to weaken the Clean Air Act and placing the health of Virginia's children and families above the profits of industrial polluters.

Samantha Ahdoot, M.D.

Dr. Ahdoot is a pediatrician practicing in Alexandria.