Pennsylvania children at risk from diesel pollution, group says

(WHTM) — Pennsylvania children may be at risk because of diesel truck traffic near schools and daycares.

According to the Clean Trucks Pennsylvania Coalition, it found 70,000 children are exposed to dangerous levels of toxic diesel pollution in the state.

It added this is because 122 K-12 schools, 217 licensed childcare centers and 300 public parks are close to an interstate highway in Pennsylvania.

“Children are particular vulnerable because they breathe more air per a unit of bodyweight, spend more time outside and their lungs and immune systems are still developing,” said Janet Conklin, a researcher with Generation180, who led the study.

Local areas in the report include Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg and York, among others.

The researchers recommended no-idling zones, air quality monitoring and landscape buffers as a remedy to the issue.