Air Quality

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford today welcomed the coalition’s renewed commitment not to build a third runway at Heathrow; a pledge that will help to safeguard and protect the health and well-being of Londoners who presently suffer from the worst air quality in Europe, in addition to excessive levels of noise pollution for those living in and around Heathrow.

Sarah Ludford commented:

“It’s absolutely vital that politicians stick to the pledge of no third runway at Heathrow to protect Londoners health and improve air quality.” 

Commenting on the new report from the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee on air quality London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"I have been campaigning for many years with Liberal Democrats across London against the dirty air in our city the worst in Europe. This report confirms the urgency: London may no longer have the peasoup fogs of the 1950s but invisible pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and lung-irritating diesel particles are lethally high."

"The report rightly condemns the woeful lack of UK action to meet EU clean air targets. The deadline for the limit on small particles came and went in June and now we have laughably inadequate stopgap measures like spraying roads with glue in hotspots ahead of the Olympics!"

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford is marking the UK's first ever World Environmental Health Day by calling on the Government to commit to making London's air cleaner very soon not in 15 years' time.

An Islington-based MEP has issued a stark warning over dangerous levels of air pollution - which experts say are killing hundreds in the borough each year.

The former Islington councillor said: "It's like the UK's bad air 'criminal record' is being wiped clean but from now on there is no reprieve."

It has been revealed that the European Commission has wiped clean the slate on London's bad air record from January 2005 (when European standards came into force) until now and no EU action will be taken over th

9 February 2010

Dear Commissioner Potočnik

Subject: Breach of NO2 hourly limit values in London

First please allow us to congratulate you on your confirmation today as Commissioner for environment. We are writing to you on your first day in office to request that you keep the implementation of European air quality standards in London at the very top of your agenda.

NO2 limit values which came into force just over a month ago on 1 January 2010 as stipulated by directive 2008/50/EC and earlier legislation state that NO2 cannot exceed 200 µg per cubic metre more than 18 times in a calendar year.

The EU Commission has rejected the UK government's request for more time to meet the requirements of European clean air laws in Greater London. High levels of air pollution in the capital breach European air quality standards designed to protect health. Dangerous particles known as 'PM10' emitted from diesel engines and heating systems are a particularly bad problem in London.

In order to be granted a postponement of the deadline the UK and the Mayor of London had to show they were doing everything possible to comply with EU standards. But this is not the case so Brussels is pressing ahead with enforcement procedures.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford said:

Sarah Ludford with Mike Tuffrey and Lynne Featherstone.

Sarah is working strongly with Lib Dem London Assembly Member Mike Tuffrey to improve the poor air quality in London. They are pictured campaigning with Lynne Featherstone Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green.