Have Clean Air Rules Helped People’s Health? Atlanta Study Says Yes

As power plants and cars and trucks have gotten cleaner, air quality in Atlanta has improved — and so has public health.

That might seem like common sense, but in a study released Thursday, researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory didn’t take it for granted. Instead, they started by looking at regulations aimed at making power plants and vehicles pollute less. Then they asked, did those rules actually reduce emissions? And did that mean cleaner air? And did that mean fewer visits to emergency rooms for lung and heart issues?

Short answer: Yes.