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FACT: |
For the
past 20 years American Cancer Society (ACS)
data from their Cancer Prevention Study II
(CPS II)
has been used by a small group of scientists
to develop epidemiologic evidence of a weak
positive relationship between fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) and total
mortality. This highly controversial
evidence has been used by US EPA
to
claim
that
PM2.5 causes "premature deaths"
and to establish
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) and costly regulations for
PM2.5. |
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FACT: |
Major
sources of
PM2.5 in California include forest
fires, agricultural dust, industrial and
residential burning, polluted air from China,
and diesel engines (which account for about 5%
of the total). CARB has used this ACS-based
evidence and EPA standards to develop and impose
costly diesel vehicle regulations in California
in order to achieve a tiny reduction in PM2.5.
These CARB regulations have adversely impacted
thousands of California businesses, particularly
small businesses. |
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FACT: |
There
is now overwhelming epidemiologic evidence, even
from CPS II, that PM2.5 does not cause premature
deaths in California.
Unfortunately,
CARB, EPA, and ACS will not
recognize this null evidence
and
will not allow
independent confirmation of the CPS II findings
used by EPA.
In spite of a major ongoing
scientific controversy and in spite of evidence
that most rural counties in California now
comply with EPA PM2.5 regulations,
CARB will not
halt their PM2.5-based diesel regulations. |
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FACT: |
Because of
the ongoing scientific controversy and the
multi-billion dollar nationwide cost of
complying with the PM2.5-based regulations, the
US House Science Committee issued an August 1,
2013 subpoena to EPA for the CPS II data.
ACS has
refused to cooperate in any way with the release
of de-identified CPS II data or with independent
reanalysis of CPS II data conducted in
collaboration with ACS. |
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FACT: |
CARB diesel
regulations will not prevent any "premature
deaths"
and will only have a tiny impact on PM2.5 levels
in California. However, they will continue to
kill jobs in California, particularly among
small businesses. |
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ACTION
ITEM: |
To
supplement the ongoing legal and coordination
actions against the CARB diesel regulations,
concerned citizens must contact the local ACS
offices in California and ask ACS to comply with
the August 1, 2013 House subpoena and to justify
the use of weak CPS II-based epidemiologic
evidence by EPA. Unless ACS stops defying the
subpoena and stops the misuse of CPS II data for CARB diesel regulations, then Californians must
stop supporting ACS. |
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