Your Dec. 12 editorial, “Our View: LePage should sign anti-smog petition,” was spot on.

I follow this issue closely, and I wholeheartedly agree with your statement, “Maine’s governor is siding with out-of-state power companies while our air quality suffers.” Sadly, this administration seems to be ignoring common-sense public health protections in favor of polluting industries.

The governor says he won’t sign a petition in favor of tougher air quality standards because we are presently meeting federal ozone standards. However, the reality is that we are just barely in attainment today, and when federal standards inevitably get tightened, we’ll be hard-pressed to meet them.

Current data show that Maine’s air quality is actually getting worse in our highest-populated regions. It is clear that we need to be doing more, not less, to protect Mainers from harmful air pollution

Air pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of asthma attacks, missed days of work and school, emergency room admissions and hospitalizations. Exposure to air pollution even shortens lives.

According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2013 report, nearly half of all Maine people live in areas with unhealthy air. It is no secret that our downwind location means we are constantly breathing toxic air pollution that comes from outside our borders.

When it comes to air pollution, which readily crosses state lines, there is far more benefit to working together as a region than to going it alone. I hope the governor will reconsider and sign the petition.

Arthur Cerullo

North Yarmouth