Things will get even better in 2020, as the agency estimates that in that year alone the Clean Air Act will save the lives of 230,000 Americans while preventing 200,000 heart attacks, 2.4 million asthma attacks, and 17 million lost work days.

NRDC’s own analysis of the agency’s data reveals even more staggering health gains, showing that more than 2.2 million lives will be saved between 2010 and 2020 thanks to reductions in air pollution achieved by amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990. But wait, the news gets even better. According to my colleague Christina Angelides, NRDC’s analysis of EPA’s report shows that the 1990 amendments will have saved 4.2 million lives and avoided millions of cases of pollution-related illness by 2020 — including 43.8 million cases of asthma exacerbation, 3.3 million heart attacks, 2.1 million hospital admissions and 2.2 million emergency room visits, and 313 million lost work days.

Further analysis by NRDC economist Laurie Johnson finds the benefits of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act exceeding costs by a ratio of 26 to 1 in 2010, and 30 to 1 in 2020. She breaks it down like this:

* In 2010 alone, we gained approximately1.3 trillion in public health and environmental benefits, for a cost of only 50 billion. That’s a value worth more than 9% of GDP, for a cost of only .4% of GDP. For comparison, we spent approximately 5% of our GDP on the Defense budget in 2010.

* The ratio of benefits to costs in 2010 is more than 26 to 1.

* In 2020, we will have a staggering gain of approximately2 trillion in benefits, at a cost of65 billion. That’s a value worth more than 14% of today’s GDP, for an expenditure of only .46%. The ratio of benefits to cost is more than 30 to 1.

Remember, that’s just the health and environmental benefits. Johnson presents further evidence on the law’s substantial improvements in economic performance as well.

So, there you have it. Those in Congress who are reckless enough to attack one of our nation’s most successful and beneficial health laws ought to choose the facts over fiction. More to the point, they have a responsibility as public servants to put public health above their shortsighted and literally harmful political goals, which ultimately benefit no one except corporate polluters that profit by putting the rest of us at risk.

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The Clean Air Act:
Good for Our Health AND Our Economy
Susanne Brooks / Environmental Defense Fund

(March 2, 2011) — The Clean Air Act and its amendments prevent millions of premature deaths, significantly reduce illnesses, and save trillions of dollars for American families. But those in Congress who are working to stall EPA actions still claim that Clean Air Act regulations are too costly. Fortunately there’s some new and conclusive evidence to show that they’re wrong.

The EPA’s just-released cost-benefit analysis of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments leaves no room for argument: we simply cannot afford a world without regulations on the harmful pollution that the Clean Air Act is designed to fight.

This comes as no surprise. The Clean Air Act has been saving lives, improving the health of American children, and saving us trillions of dollars for years now. But this report is a new and definitive confirmation of just how critical this law is to the health of the American people — and to our economy.

EPA sets a gold standard in economic modeling with this report. It provides an excellent, no-nonsense analysis of both the costs of complying with the Clean Air Act Amendments and the benefits. Benefits are the clear winner. From 1990 to 2020, they manifest in the form of avoided premature deaths, reduction in illnesses and associated health care costs, and improved ecological and welfare impacts (like increased agricultural yields and better visibility conditions).

The report finds that, at the central estimate, and after taking costs into account, the net benefits of the Clean Air Act Amendments are $12 trillion in present value. Yes, that’s TRILLION.

The report also finds that the benefits of the Clean Air Act outweigh the costs by a factor of more than 30 to one. Let me say that again: 30 to one. And that’s a more modest estimate; the reports high benefits estimate exceeds costs by 90 times.

These estimates don’t even account for some benefits that are more difficult to monetize, such as health effects from air toxics, and chronic respiratory diseases other than chronic bronchitis. They also don’t mention the pain and suffering associated with illnesses, so the benefits estimate should be seen as conservative.

Let’s look at one of the most important results: health impacts. Last year alone, the Clean Air Act Amendments saved more than 160,000 lives, prevented more than 85,000 emergency room visits, prevented millions of cases of respiratory problems (including bronchitis and asthma), enhanced productivity by preventing 13 million lost workdays, and prevented 3.2 million lost school days (just to name a few of the benefits).

In the year 2020, the Clean Air Act Amendments are projected to prevent more than 230,000 early deaths and provide benefits reaching approximately $2 trillion. All of which makes it mind-boggling that opponents in Congress continue to push back against this successful law.