Clean Air Act Digest, 5.13.11
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UPDATES
Updates: The Obama Administration is poised to complete the reconsideration of the ozone health standards by late July. On May 13, 13 leading health groups sent a letter to the President urging him to support science-based standards that will protect public health. The respected firm the Analyst Group issued a report authored by Sue Tierney that rebuts alarmist claims by Edison Electric Institute and other utilities about negative impacts on electricity reliability resulting from EPA clean air, clean water and coal ash standards. This past week, doctors form six public health organizations sent a letter to Representative Barton (R-TX) challenging his claim that air pollution does not have health impacts: “Some of us treat patients, including children, with pulmonary, cardiovascular, and other chronic diseases, and some of us treat children who have neurological impairment. We work each day to improve the lives of patients and their caregivers and to protect the public from known environmental hazards. We ask that you protect the Clean Air Act and support efforts to reduce the health threats posed by air pollution. Doing so will improve public health and lower health care costs for all.” In addition, the physicians attached a list of articles on the health effects of air pollution.
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ACTION ALERTS ASK AEP: What’s Your Number? Several weeks ago American Electric Power (AEP) released draft legislation that would exempt electric utility units from Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements applying between now and 2021. It also exempts power plants from the basic obligation to comply with health-based national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) during that period. This reckless legislation would put the health of millions of Americans at risk. Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club launched a new campaign Tuesday that challenges American Electric Power (AEP) to publicly name the number of lives it wants Congress to sacrifice to give AEP and other polluters delays and rollbacks of national limits on toxic air pollution. Here is how you can help.
Comments for Mercury and Air Toxics Standards: After 20 years of delay, the Environmental Protection Agency has finally proposed strong mercury and air toxics standards for power plants. EPA’s proposed standards for power plants that burn coal and oil are projected to save as many as 17,000 American lives every year by 2015. However, it’s up to us to demonstrate powerful public demand over the next few months to keep the standard strong against relentless industry attacks. These standards have officially been entered into the Federal Register. We now have until July 5th, 2011 to submit comments. Please see the Sierra Club’s factsheet, sample action alert and comment card for more information. If you are planning to generate comments please contact Lyndsay Moseley at Lyndsay.Moseley@sierraclub.org.
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IMPORTANT DEADLINES EPA Power Plant Air Toxics Dear Colleague: Representative Capps, Schakowsky and Wasserman Schultz are currently circulating a dear colleague letter in the House of Representatives in support of the EPA Power Plant Air Toxics Standard. Please urge Representatives to sign on to this letter to show support for protecting kids from mercury and toxic air pollution. For more details please contact Paul Billings at America Lung Association, pbillings@lungusa.org. Also, check out the Sierra Club’s online action alert. Mercury and Air Toxics Coalition Letter: Environment America, is circulating a coalition letter intended to show broad support for the standards from many different stakeholders. Feel free to circulate this far and wide, as we want as many groups as possible on the letter. There is no deadline yet. All organizations are welcome, please view the letter and sign on here. For more information contact Shelly Vinyard at Shelley@environmentamerica.org. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS Public Hearings for Mercury and Air Toxics Standards: EPA will hold public hearings on the recently released Mercury and Air Toxics Standards in Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta. Each hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 8:00 p.m. (local time). The public may preregister to speak at the hearings at a specific time. People also may register in person on the day of the hearing, and will be worked in to openings in the schedule of speakers. To get involved contact Sierra Club Coordinator Jessica Hodge at Jessica.Hodge@sierraclub.org.
More details can be found here: Official Regulatory Actions Page – Environmental Protection Agency Announcement Public Hearings (PDF) – Federal Register – 4.28.11
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NEW MATERIALS Unbranded Mercury and Air Toxics Comment Postcard How to Prepare Mercury and Air Toxics Public Comment, Sierra Club Major National Latino Organizations Support Strong Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, National Latino Coalition on Climate Change Press Release 5.11.11 Citizen-Funded Ads Take on Senators for Siding with Big Polluters, 350.org Blog 5.10.11 Brief on American Electric Power (AEP) Draft, Environmental Defense Fund Don’t forget the Clean Air Act fan page on Facebook. USCAN’s Clean Air Act Pages include a compilation of member materials. |
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Clean Air Act Digest is a publication put together by US Climate Action Network and Natural Resources Defense Council please contact Kate Smolski at ksmolski@climatenetwork.org for more details. Click here for past issues. |
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