by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The European Commission has recently rejected the UK's bid for extra time to meet European air quality standards. The UK request was opposed by Friends of the Earth lawyers who have been acting for affected communities in Wales.
Laura Gyte, a lawyer for “Friends of the Earth” who has represented Port Talbot residents, said: "The UK has known about these limits for years – we are delighted that the EU has rejected the Government's bid to carry on polluting.
"All relevant public bodies must now urgently get on with the important job of ensuring that UK air quality standards designed to protect health and the environment are met."
Gordon James, Director of “Friends of the Earth Cymru”, said that air pollution mainly affects people from poorer communities and that this ruling is an important step in protecting their health.
He further said that the Government should put its efforts into meeting air quality standards rather than trying to avoid them.
Lawyers at Friends of the Earth's Rights and Justice Center have been working with residents of Port Talbot to make sure that air quality standards near to Corus' Port Talbot steel works are met.
Last year the environmental campaign group's lawyers succeeded in forcing the Welsh Assembly Government to produce a legally required Air Quality Action Plan to bring local air quality within legal limits.
Under European law Britain has to ensure that it meets strict limits for PM10s in the atmosphere. It had to meet those limits by 1 January 2005. However, earlier this year the UK applied to the Commission for a further two years to meet its PM10 limits including Port Talbot and London.
PM10s, by way of further explanation, are very small particulate matter (less than 10 micrometers). Both short-term and long-term exposure to ambient levels of PM10s are consistently associated with respiratory and cardiovascular illness and increased mortality (reduction in life expectancy) as well as other ill-health effects.
Port Talbot is one of eight urban 'Hot Spots' in the UK which has breached air quality limits for PM10s in recent years.
© 2010
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