We represent a volunteer group of pediatricians and future pediatricians (premedical and medical students) who work together to ensure the health of our patients. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls on us to speak up for children at the local government level when their health is at risk due to air pollution. Orange County’s air quality is the worst in the United States—and our children are paying the price. Alongside Los Angeles and Long Beach, our region consistently ranks worst in the nation for ozone pollution, according to the American Lung Association, which gives us a failing grade year after year. As pediatricians, we see firsthand how air pollution damages pediatric lungs — by triggering asthma exacerbations, causing missed school days for children, and increasing children’s susceptibility to viral and bacterial pneumonias. The root of many of these issues is the polluted air in Orange County.
Fortunately in the next few weeks, we have an amazing opportunity for change! On June 6, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) will vote on new standards that target one of the region’s most dangerous and overlooked sources of air pollution: the gas-powered water heaters and furnaces inside our homes. What happens at this meeting will determine the future health of our children.
Indoor air pollution affects pediatric lungs, and poor indoor air quality leads to poor pediatric health. The gas appliances we use hide in plain sight—yet they produce seven times more smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution than the region’s power plants. The longer we keep using gas appliances, the longer our children will suffer disproportionately worse health compared to other regions.
Burning fossil fuels in homes and buildings contributes to an estimated 76,000 asthma attacks, 30,000 missed school days, 130 premature deaths, and $2 billion in health-related costs each year. Those aren’t just statistics—they’re our children. These are the kids growing up in our neighborhoods who deserve a chance to thrive without having their growing lungs strained by dirty air. They are the kids coming to our pediatric clinics with worsening health.
In Orange County alone, 40,000 children and 219,000 adults live with asthma. These numbers should alarm every parent—and every policymaker. But these health impacts go far beyond asthma. Air pollution affects adult patients as well by exacerbating heart disease, lung disease, and pregnancy complications.
Here’s what the SCAQMD rules would do: Starting in 2027, manufacturers would need to ensure that 30% of the water heaters and furnaces they sell are zero-emission models, such as electric heat pumps. That percentage would gradually increase to 90% by 2036. Companies that don’t meet the targets would pay a compliance fee to fund the Go Zero program, which provides rebates and installation support to help families and small businesses upgrade to clean, non-polluting options.
These upgrades won’t just clean up our air—they’ll actually save families money! Heat pumps, which provide both heating and cooling in one system, are far more energy-efficient than gas-powered appliances. For households that already use central air and are on electrification-friendly utility rates, switching to heat pumps can cut utility bills by around $370 a year! Over time, those savings add up—putting money back into parents’ pockets while reducing pollution in our neighborhoods.
Despite these public health and financial benefits, many Orange County elected officials oppose these common sense standards. According to Voice of OC reporting, local leaders in cities like Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Yorba Linda have passed resolutions opposing the SCAQMD’s proposed rules.
As practicing pediatricians, we are disheartened. Rather than championing cleaner air and healthier futures, some local leaders are choosing to maintain the status quo—a status quo that leaves children and our OC families bearing a disproportionate burden of poor lung health.
Orange County lags behind other areas on health and environmental policy. 26 of our 34 cities have no Climate Action Plan, leaving residents more vulnerable to extreme heat, poor air, and environmental injustice. These appliance standards offer a step forward—but they’ll only work if we let them.
Polluted air is not normal and we can do better for our children and community. We have the tools to fix it, namely passing the proposed SCAQMD rules.
The SCAQMD’s vote on June 6 is more than a policy decision. It’s a clinical decision. Will our community continue to allow OC’s children to breathe harmful air so outdated gas appliances can stay in use? Or will we take this opportunity to build a cleaner, healthier future?
We urge the SCAQMD to vote yes on these standards. We urge our OC neighbors and leaders to stand up for clean air and public health. Our kids’ pulmonary health depends on it.
Wayne Mai is a lifelong resident of OC and a graduate of Tesoro High School and UC San Diego. Wayne is applying to medical school, and is the Student-Director of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air.
Dr. Vi Thuy Nguyen earned her MD from Harvard Medical School and completed pediatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has practiced general pediatrics in Southern California for over 15 years. She is the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics, California State Government Affairs Expert Committee on Environmental Health and Climate Change, and is also the Founder of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air.
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