Safe limits for dangerous airborne particles (PM10) have been exceeded 36 times in London, breaching the annual legal limit of 35 ‘bad air days’ within the first third of 2011.

The UK government obtained a conditional time extension from the European Commission which delayed the deadline for compliance with these laws until 11 June 2011. This was based on the government’s own projection that measures contained in the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy would bring the number of days down to 32 for the whole of 2011.

Environmental law organisation ClientEarth has contacted the European Commission on seven previous occasions dating back to July 2009, including a personal meeting with Commissioner Potocnik, to tell them that the government’s predictions were unreliable.
 
Alan Andrews, air quality lawyer at ClientEarth, said: “The government and the Mayor’s air quality plans were always hopelessly optimistic. Now we are in a mess because they repeatedly took the soft options rather than the effective, long-term measures that are needed.

“Today is the worst day for London’s air pollution in years and so it’s clear that the Mayor’s experiment of spraying the roads with dust suppression chemicals is failing. We need sustainable policies such as a Clean Air Zone that bans the most polluting diesel vehicles from inner London.”

ENDS

Notes to editor:

4,300 people died prematurely in London in 2008 because of microscopic airborne particles (PM10) caused primarily by transport. Children, the elderly and people with heart disease, respiratory illness and asthma are particularly vulnerable to this type of pollution.

To speak to Alan Andrews contact ClientEarth communications office
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