Plaid Cymru calls for air pollution to be seen as a public health issue

Plaid Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government to show leadership and treat air pollution as a public health issue during a debate in the Senedd today.

The call comes on the day when it was revealed that Green group ClientEarth will have their case about the failure of the Welsh Government to tackle air pollution heard at the High Court before 23 February 2018.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Climate Change and Rural Affairs Mid and West AM Simon Thomas said:

“We have control over our air quality so rather than waiting for the Conservatives to take air pollution seriously on a UK level, the Labour Government should take action here in Wales.

“The Labour Government in Wales should publish a national air pollution strategy. They should give clear guidance to local councils and health boards on how they give residents information about air quality.

“Public Health Wales has warned that air pollution is a public health crisis which needs to be tackled urgently.

“It is second only to smoking as a public health concern, causing 2,000 deaths a year – 6% of Wales’ total.

The people who are most vulnerable to the effects are children and elderly people with pre-existing chronic illnesses.”

“I’m pleased that we have given the green light for £2 million towards electric vehicle charging as a result of Plaid Cymru’s budget agreement with the Welsh Government.

“This is a start on the journey to decarbonise the transport sector.”

The impact of air pollution is greatest in the most deprived areas where nitrogen dioxide levels are at their highest. Five times more carcinogenic emissions are emitted in the 10% most deprived than the 10% least deprived areas of Wales.

Hafodyrynys Road in Crumlin, Caerphilly is the UK’s most polluted street outside London.

5 towns and cities in Wales (Port Talbot, Chepstow, Cardiff, Newport, and Swansea) reported illegal and damaging levels of air pollution in 2016.

Plaid Cymru yn galw i lygredd aer gael ei weld fel mater iechyd cyhoeddus

Mae Plaid Cymru yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddangos arweiniad a thrin llygredd aer fel mater iechyd cyhoeddus yn ystod dadl yn y Senedd heddiw.

Daw’r galw hwn ar y diwrnod ble datgelodd y grŵp Gwyrdd, ClientEarth, y bydd eu hachos am fethiant Llywodraeth Cymru i daclo llygredd aer yn cael ei glywed yn yr Uchel Lys cyn 23 Chwefror 2018.

Dywed Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet Cysgodol dros Ynni, Newid Hinsawdd a Materion Gwledig ac AC y Canolbarth a’r Gorllewin, Simon Thomas:

“Mae gyda ni reolaeth dros ansawdd ein aer ac yn hytrach na disgwyl i’r Torïaid gymryd llygredd aer o ddifrif dros y DU, dylai’r Llywodraeth Lafur weithredu arno nawr yng Nghymru.

“Dylai’r Llywodraeth Lafur yng Nghymru gyhoeddi strategaeth llygredd aer genedlaethol gan roi arweinyddiaeth glir i gynghorau lleol a byrddau iechyd ar sut i roi gwybodaeth i breswylwyr am ansawdd aer.

“Mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru wedi rhybuddio bod llygredd aer yn argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus sydd angen ei daclo ar frys.

“Fel pryder iechyd cyhoeddus, mae’n ail yn unig i ysmygu ac yn achosi 2,000 o farwolaethau y flwyddyn – 6% o gyfanswm Cymru gyfan.

“Y bobl fwyaf bregus i’w sgil effeithiau yw plant a phobl hŷn sydd ag afiechydon hirbarhaol a sydd yn bodoli’n barod.

“Rwy’n falch ein bod wedi rhoi’r golau gwyrdd i roi £2 filiwn tuag at fannau gwefru cerbydau trydan fel canlyniad o gytundeb cyllideb Plaid Cymru â Llywodraeth Cymru.
“Dyma ddechrau’r daith i ddatgarboneiddio’r sector drafnidiaeth.”

Mae effaith llygredd aer i’w gweld yn bennaf ar yr ardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig ble mae lefelau nitrogen deuocsid ar eu huchaf. Noder bod pum gwaith yn fwy o allyriadau carsinogenig yn cael eu gollwng yn y 10% o ardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig o’u cymharu â’r 10% o’r ardaloedd mwyaf breintiedig yng Nghymru.

Ffordd Hafodyrynys yng Nghrymlyn, Caerffili yw stryd mwyaf llygredig y DU y tu allan i Lundain.

Yn 2016, adroddwyd bod 5 o drefi a dinasoedd yng Nghymru (Port Talbot, Nghas-gwent, Caerdydd, Casnewydd, ac Abertawe) â lefelau anghyfreithiol a niweidiol o lygredd aer.