EPA Administrator Whitman to Tour Univ. of Wisconsin Children's Hospital Asthma Unit; Will Discuss Clear Skies Initiative

4/23/2002

From: William Omohundro, 312-353-8254

News Advisory:

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman will be at the University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital Asthma Unit in Madison on Wednesday to discuss the President's Clear Skies Initiative and get an update on the hospital's asthma research program.

Who: -- EPA Administrator Christie Whitman -- Regional Administrator Thomas V. Skinner -- Dr. Phillip Farrell, Dean, University of Wisconsin Medical School -- Dr. William Busse, Director, University of Wisconsin Asthma Allergy Clinical Research Center

When: 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 24

Where: University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital 600 Highland Ave. Madison, Wis. Media will be met at the hospital clinic entrance next to the parking ramp and escorted to the press conference.

What: Discuss President's Clear Skies plan and a University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital community project to help determine the causes of childhood asthma.

The University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital is engaged in a community project that seeks to explain why some young children develop full-blown asthma and others don't. Expectant parents with a history of asthma have been recruited through clinics, physicians and an array of organizations throughout the greater Madison area to take part in the program. A family involved in the study will be at the event to meet with Administrator Whitman and to talk to the media about their involvement.

The President's Clear Skies initiative will set mandatory cuts in the emissions of three major pollutants from power plants and will, over the next decade, remove a total of 35 million more tons of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury from the air than will be eliminated by the current Clean Air Act. At the same time, Americans will experience tens of thousands fewer cases of asthma and other chronic respiratory problems.