Reno Gazette Journal| Aaron Ford
This opinion column was submitted by Aaron D. Ford, attorney general for the state of Nevada.
Nevada faces an unprecedented public health and economic crisis due to the COVID-19 virus.
While Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has focused on fighting the virus and keeping families safe, the Trump administration has taken this opportunity to enact a political agenda that threatens the health of Nevadans. Recently, federal agencies finalized a rollback of clean car standards that were set to protect our lungs, save us money and fight climate change.
This is the worst possible time to weaken public health protections. Tailpipe pollution is directly tied to asthma and other lung diseases — ailments that put people at higher risk of dying from COVID-19 and many other health conditions. Air pollution also disproportionately affects our most vulnerable neighbors, including children, seniors, people of color and low-income communities.