Readings taken at the Putney High Street air quality monitoring station have recorded fifty five exceedances (1) of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) limits, breaching the annual permitted legal limit of eighteen (2). This is despite TfL declaring Putney High Street a priority for greener transport last January (3) and against the European Commission announcement that 2013 is the ‘Year of Air’ with key European air pollution legislation up for review.
Jenny Jones AM said:
“Putney High Street is a disgraceful example of the Government and Mayor’s failure to take responsibility for air pollution. As a result even more people will die prematurely, suffer worse asthma and other respiratory conditions”
“Instead of attempting to delay legal deadlines for nitrogen dioxide, the Mayor has to rewrite his Air Quality Strategy and include effective new measures that can make a big difference to fill the gap.”
Jenny’s recommendations to the Mayor:
- To re-instate the pledge that all new London buses are hybrids from next year
- Increase the pace of traffic reduction in London by lowering fares and investing in cycling facilities
- A very low emission zone for central London, which only allows the cleanest vehicles into central London and which could reduce NO2 air pollution below the European limit, according to a report commissioned by the City of London. This should then be extended to Greater London
- Drop Silvertown Tunnel proposal
- Stop further aviation expansion at Heathrow Airport
Editors Notes
Jenny is available for interview
1. London Air Quality Network – Kings College London http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/publicstats.asp?region=0&site=WA7&la_id=&network=All&postcode=&MapType=Google&VenueCode=&zoom=9&lat=51.431751825946115&lon=-0.17578125&laEdge=
2. London Air Quality Network – Kings College London. Nitrogen dioxide - No more than 18 occurrences of hourly mean >200ug/m3 http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/advstatsaqobjresults.asp?site1=WA9&site2=WA7&site3=WA8&site4=&sday=1&smonth=jan&syear=2013&Submit=View
3. Transport for London (TFL) has said it will make Putney High Street a priority for greener transport methods http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9473716.Polluted_Putney_branded_a__national_disgrace_/
4. EU Limit Values for PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 ffrom the EU Air Quality Directive 50/2008, table 1.1, Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy, December 2010, Clearing the Air http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Air_Quality_Strategy_v3.pdf
5. The European Commission has announced that 2013 is the ‘Year of Air’ with key European air pollution legislation up for review – What is the ‘Year of Air in 2013?http://cleanairinlondon.org/news/quick-guide-to-air-pollution/
6. London has the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution of any capital city in Europe. http://cleanairinlondon.org/sources/guide-to-sources-london-has-the-highest-levels-of-nitrogen-dioxide-of-any-capital-city-in-europe/