Congressmen Carter, Tonko Introduce Public Health Air Quality Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Public Health Air Quality Act of 2025. This bill will increase air pollution monitoring and improve public health by expanding community-level sensors and requiring real-time, accessible data so people, especially in overburdened communities, can better understand and respond to pollution that harms their health. This legislation will help provide the data and tools to deliver clean air nationwide, especially for communities near industrial facilities. The Congressmen introduced their bill to mark the anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which was signed into law on December 17, 1963.

“For far too long, Black, brown, and low-income neighborhoods have been forced to bear the brunt of toxic air pollution with little transparency or accountability,” said Rep. Carter. “The Public Health Air Quality Act is about environmental justice at its core: giving communities the data, monitoring, and protections they deserve so that no child’s health or life expectancy is determined by their zip code. Clean air is not a privilege—it is a fundamental right, and this legislation moves us closer to delivering that promise for every family in America.”

Industrial and environmental pollutants disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income communities. Exposure to industrial waste products endangers our communities with increased vulnerability to cancer, asthma, early mortality, and neurodevelopmental conditions. For years, communities across the country have called for practical solutions to ensure we have the information and tools to deliver clean air nationwide.

“We know the harm caused by poor air quality: increased risk of cancer, asthma, childhood mortality, the list goes on,” said Rep. Tonko. “We also know that black and brown communities, and low-income communities are the most likely to be burdened with the worst impacts of toxic air pollutants. It is incumbent on Congress to take action to protect public health and improve air quality, which is why I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this legislation that bolsters air monitoring in the communities that need it most and ensures the air we breathe is clean and safe.”

In addition to Reps. Carter and Tonko, the Public Health Quality Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Steve Cohen (D-TN), André Carson (D-IN), and Sean Casten (D-IL). The Senate companion of The Public Health Air Quality Act was introduced by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today.

The billis endorsed by the American Lung Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Respiratory Health Association, RISE St. James Louisiana, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Moms Clean Air Force, Earthjustice Action, EDF Action, Sierra Club, California Communities Against Toxics, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Environmental Law and Policy Center, GreenLatinos, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), Hoosier Environmental Council, RiSE4EJ, Environmental Integrity Project, Concerned Citizens of St. John, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Air Task Force, Rio Grande International Study Center, League of Conservation Voters (LCV), and Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform.

“For years, under-resourced communities have been forced to live near pollutants, exposing them to serious health risks. This bill represents an important step toward combating toxic air quality and improving the data and tools necessary to prevent more public harm,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “Our Public Health Air Quality Act protects families and ensures that your zip code does not determine your air quality. As we mark the anniversary of the Clean Air Act, I am proud to be standing with Senator Duckworth to reintroduce this bill. I look forward to working with Congressmen Carter and Tonko to move this legislation forward and advance environmental justice across the nation.”

“For too long, our most toxic industries have been put next door to low-income communities and communities of color—forcing these communities to shoulder the devastating health consequences of legacy air pollution and other environmental injustices, including alarming rates of cancer and asthma,” said Senator Duckworth. “The Public Health Air Quality Act would help better protect these vulnerable families by strengthening our national air monitoring system. Every American in every community deserves to breathe safe air—no matter their skin color, zip code, or the size of their wallet.”

Background:

The Public Health Air Quality Act:

• Requires EPA to implement fenceline monitoring to track toxic air pollutants linked to high local cancer risks and other acute and chronic health threats, including neurodevelopmental impacts in early life, based on the best available science, and proximity to places like schools where children and families spend time.
• Ensures that fenceline monitoring and continuous emissions monitoring are integrated as core components of national air standards for chemical, petrochemical, and other sources of toxic air pollution linked with some of the most serious illnesses and health concerns.
• Requires a rapid expansion of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) monitoring network through the addition of at least 180 new air quality monitoring stations, including stations in communities where this is most needed.
• Deploys at least 1,000 new air quality sensors in communities facing unhealthy air to boost and complement the NAAQS monitoring network and enhance communities’ access to information.

Read the full bill text here.

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