WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement following passage of the amendment to include his Protecting Airport Communities from Particle Emissions bill in the broader infrastructure package, the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2). This important amendment will commission a national study on the sources, characteristics, dispersion, and potential health effects of ultrafine particles (UFPs).

“Recent studies conducted around major airports concluded that UFPs contribute to negative health outcomes, and that aviation contributes significantly to the dispersion of UFPs. Unfortunately, we still don’t know the extent to which communities and residents are exposed in addition to the overall health effects of UFP inhalation.

“My amendment requires the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate with the National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a comprehensive national study to fully understand the health effects of ultrafine particles and to what extent airport communities are exposed. We need answers to understand how UFPs affect communities around airports, including to what extent aviation contributes to the creation and diffusion of UFPs and whether sustainable fuels could help reduce the number of these particles in the atmosphere.

“I want to thank the elected officials, local leaders, and members of the community whose hard work to educate the community set the stage to address this critical issue. This amendment is a first step in getting answers to the many questions on UFPs, laying the groundwork for future efforts to reduce aviation emissions and protect the health of residents in airport adjacent communities based on the study’s recommendations.”

###