UPDATES

Updates:

Environmental Protection Agency:

Final Air Transport Rule:

Yesterday, EPA announced the finalized Cross-State Air Pollution Rule , which protects over 240 million Americans from deadly power plant air pollution by reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that cross state lines and worsen air quality in downwind states.  The rule requires pollution reductions from power plants in 27 states in the eastern half of the United States.  For more information, see NRDC’s blog.

House:

Appropriations:

The Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, released earlier this week, includes dirty air riders that would prevent the EPA from doing its job of protecting public health. Especially concerning provisions would block the EPA from curbing dangerous carbon pollution—similar to the attack we saw several months ago in H.R. 1. The bill was marked up in Subcommittee yesterday and will move to the full Appropriations Committee next Tuesday. To see a summary of the polluting provisions and their far reaching impacts, please click here.

Air Toxics:

There continue to be press reports that Congressman Whitman (R-KY) will introduce a bill that will delay the EPA’s power plant air toxics rule.

TRAIN Act:

Today the TRAIN Act was passed out of the Energy and Power Subcommittee. The bill will now move to the full Energy and Commerce Committee. The ‘‘Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011” (TRAIN Act; H.R. 2401) is designed to sideline a specific list of life-saving public health protections provided by the Clean Air Act. This legislation requires a committee of cabinet secretaries and other high-level officials to scrutinize and attempt to project the economic impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) upcoming rules—an analysis that both the EPA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) already perform. Not only does this bill require redundant analyses of EPA rules, wasting both time and taxpayer dollars, but it would also take the unprecedented step of forcing agencies to sit in judgment of each other. For more information, see NRDC’s factsheet. Please contact Ellie Pepper (epepper@nrdc.org) at NRDC if you would like to sign on to a community letter. The deadline is COB today.

ACTION ALERTS

Mercury and Air Toxics Comment Deadline Extension:

We now have until Thursday, August 4th to submitt comments, for those who haven’t made their voice heard it’s time to take this extra oppurtunity to urge the EPA to finalize strong air pollution standards for power plants.

Three months ago, after 20 years of delay, the Environmental Protection Agency 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.

Don’t waste any more time to weigh in and speak up for standards that will save lives and protect children. Please see the Sierra Club’s fact sheet for more information on the proposed standards and check out this sample action alert and comment card template that can be used to draft your own.

More resources :

Unbranded Mercury and Air Toxics Comment Postcard, Sierra Club

Public Comment How-to for EPA’s Proposed Mercury Rule, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Sample action alerts:

Tell the Obama Administration to Reduce Toxic Air Pollution from Power Plants, Natural Resources Defense Council

Tell EPA: Close Toxic Air Pollution Loophole from Coal-fired Power Plants, American Lung Association

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Broad Coalition Smog (Ozone) Letter

Recently, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) unanimously advised Environmental Protection Administrator Lisa Jackson that the scientific evidence strongly supports a new ozone health standard. Setting a more protective standard would save 10,000 lives annually. Ozone, the primary component of smog, is the nation’s most pervasive air pollutant. The American Lung Association is circulating a letter which will go to President Obama to urge him to support the more protective, scientifically proven, standard. Click here to add your organization’s name to the sign-on letter to President Obama. For questions or more information please contact Tiffany Williams at TTiffanyWilliams@lungusa.org. Please feel free to share with other organizations that would consider signing as well.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Comment Delivery Event:

Thousands of Americans have been sending public comments to the EPA, urging them to strengthen clean air standards that will reduce this dangerous air pollution. A coalition of organizations and activists will deliver comments to the EPA that have been collected across the country. Dozens of representatives from the environmental, public health, minority, faith, business and other communities and elected officials will be presenting the Environmental Protection Agency with public comments asking them to set strong standards on power plants to reduce mercury pollution.

Please join the rally to make it a success. Contact Lyndsay.Moseley@sierraclub.org for more information.

When: Tuesday, July 19th, 12:00-12:30 p.m.

Where: 5 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02108

NEW MATERIALS

Statement by Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, on U.S. EPA’s issuance of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Ceres Press Release 7.7.11

Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Will Save Lives, Protect Public from Out-of-State Pollution, American Lung Association 7.7.11

Cross State Air Pollution Rule Fact Sheet, Environmental Defense Fund

Congressman Upton’s Hyperbolic Rant Against Hyperbole, National Resource Defense Council Blog 7.6.11

Appropriations Committee Releases the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill, Committee on Appropriations Press Release 7.6.11

Don’t forget the Clean Air Act fan page on Facebook.

USCAN’s Clean Air Act Pages include a compilation of member materials.

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.

Related posts:

1. Clean Air Act Digest, 6.17.11
2. Clean Air Act Digest, 6.3.11
3. Clean Air Act Digest, 7.15.11

The Leadership Campaign is organizing the efforts, as they did with last fall’s sleep-outs in Boston Common, which lasted three weeks and came to an end as the global summit in Copenhagen began. Although world leaders “failed to agree on a binding, aggressive, and fair global treaty,” and although “our leaders in congress have similarly failed to act,” the campaign vows that “individuals across Massachusetts are standing up and declaring their leadership.”

The scheduled sleep-outs:
. February 20th-21st, Amherst Common Sleep-out
. March 28th-29th, Cambridge Common Sleep-out and March
. April 21st-22nd, Boston Common Earth Day Sleep-out and Lobby Day

Related posts:

1. Massachusetts Sleep-Out Protests Enter Week Three
2. Final Boston Sleep-out This Weekend
3. Boston Protesters Get Clean Energy Bill

The programs represent the next phases of the $68 million Commonwealth Solar rebate program, which was so successful it ran out of money last October, more than two years ahead of schedule. More than 1,200 businesses and residents participated.

Now residents can make use of Commonwealth Solar II and Commonwealth Solar Stimulus, both set to begin in late January.

Commonwealth Solar II will offer rebates for smaller systems, either commercial or residential. Up to $4 million a year will be available for those projects through the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, funded by a surcharge on electric bills.

Larger projects can apply for a piece of $8 million in state energy funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

For more information:

Robert Keough

Phone: 617-626-1109

Email: Robert.keough@state.ma.us

Related posts:

1. Largest Solar Power Plant in the US Unveiled
2. Pennsylvania Will Power 80,000 Homes with Waste Material
3. More Sleep-Outs for Clean Energy Planned in Massachusetts

Mass. Rep. William Brownsberger and Sen. Marc Pacheco filed an “Act to Create and Repower Massachusetts Emergency Task Force” on Monday on behalf of The Leadership Campaign. The bill asks the Commonwealth to assemble a task force to research what will be needed to get Massachusetts to 100 percent clean electricity by 2020.

The protesters had wanted a bill promising to have Massachusetts running on 100 percent clean energy by 2020, but they were pleased with the bill that was introduced, saying creating the task force was a good start toward that goal. Because of the urgency of the issue, The Leadership Campaign is asking for results from the task force in six months.

About 80 people slept in tents across from the Statehouse the night before the bill’s introduction. It was the culmination of a weeks-long protest organized by The Leadership Campaign, a coalition of student groups.

- Suzanne Bopp

Related posts:

1. Final Boston Sleep-out This Weekend
2. More Sleep-Outs for Clean Energy Planned in Massachusetts
3. State Legislators Seek Federal Climate and Clean Energy Jobs Bill

The protest has been organized by The Leadership Campaign, an organization calling for Massachusetts to commit to 100% clean electricity in 10 years. On Monday, a bill will be filed in the Massachusetts House calling on the governor to create a task force to make that a reality.

Before Sunday’s final sleep-out, there will be a 3:00 p.m. rally on Boston Common with Rev. Lennox Yearwood, chair of the Hip Hop Caucus.

Register to join the sleep-out or sign the petition at The Leadership Campaign.

- Suzanne Bopp

Related posts:

1. More Sleep-Outs for Clean Energy Planned in Massachusetts
2. Massachusetts Sleep-Out Protests Enter Week Three
3. Boston Protesters Get Clean Energy Bill