Last week, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the District’s designation as a BreatheLife City. A partnership led by the World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the BreatheLife campaign aims to connect member cities on best practices for implementing effective long-term solutions to the problem of air pollution. This designation is the most recent stride in Mayor Bowser’s efforts to reduce air pollution by emphasizing more efficient mass transit, better land-use practices, and reduced vehicle and fuel emissions.
“U.S. EPA has established health-based standards for six air pollutants, and I’m proud to say the District has achieved concentrations below the standards for five of the pollutants, including PM2.5,” said Tommy Wells, Director of DC’s Department of Energy and Environment. “We’re now close to achieving the standards for the one remaining pollutant, ground-level ozone.”
