Clean Air

Dirty air exacerbates asthma and shortens lives. Earthjustice is protecting national air quality and defending impacted communities from toxic pollution because we all have a right to breathe clean, healthy air.

Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice

After more than a decade of Earthjustice litigation, the EPA finally issued tough new standards to control mercury and other dangerous air pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants, saving thousands of lives and preventing thousands of heart attacks and asthma attacks every year.

CLEAN AIR ISN’T AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

One in three Americans lives in communities where air is unsafe to breathe because of pollution. Dirty air persists because some polluters refuse to clean up toxic air emissions, despite the availability of proven pollution control technology. We suffer the consequences with needless heart ailments, lung disease, asthma attacks, cancer, and shortened lives.

EARTHJUSTICE FIGHTS FOR CLEANER AIR BY:

PROTECTING IMPACTED COMMUNITIES in polluted areas by ensuring national standards are applied to clean up dirty air.
OBTAINING AND STRENGTHENING NATIONAL AIR QUALITY STANDARDS using our decades of legal experience enforcing the Clean Air Act and other laws to force improvements in air quality throughout the country and at the most polluting industrial facilities.

WE’RE MAKING IT EASIER TO BREATHE.

Over the past two decades, Earthjustice has fought—and won—dozens of Clean Air Act cases to ratchet up public health protections and hold polluters accountable. Unfortunately, far too many Americans are still breathing dirty air and suffering the consequences. Our fight continues.

"Children die of asthma. I'm a parent. I just can't imagine losing your child to asthma. I can't imagine losing your child at all, but losing a child unnecessarily because we can't be bothered to clean up pollution? That's just incredible to me." – Jim Pew, Staff Attorney, Washington, D.C. Office

By the Numbers

Number of Clean Air Ambassadors—doctors, nurses, clergy, tribal leaders and concerned citizens from all fifty states—who have participated in 50 States United for Healthy Air to lobby their elected officials in Washington, D.C. and ask for something we all need: Restore our right to breathe clean air.

Spotlight Features

Bringing the Fight Home to Refinery Towns

Hilton Kelley, Jesse Marquez and many more are embracing their hometowns—and fighting like hell to protect them.

Asthma Feels

Millions of Americans suffer from asthma; however, most people don't know how brutal it is to live with the disease. Breathing is a fundamental right, yet everyday air pollution is affecting millions of Americans' right to breathe.

50 States United: Fighting in D.C. for Clean Air

In May 2013, doctors, nurses, clergy, labor advocates and community activists traveled from every state to Washington, D.C. to meet with their elected officials and tell their stories of why clean air is important.

30,215

Number of letters sent by Earthjustice supporters to Congress in support of citizens from all 50 states who traveled to Washington D.C. in 2013 to meet with elected officials and policymakers in defense of our right to breathe clean air.