16,000 Illinoisans call on U.S. EPA to Cut Toxic Mercury Pollution
Chicago, IL – Over 16,000 Illinoisans have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally adopt its proposed Mercury & Air Toxics Rule to cut health-harming pollution from coal-fired power plants. With today marking the end of EPA’s comment period on the rule, over 90 concerned citizens and health experts gathered outside of EPA Region 5 headquarters to call on the agency to adopt the strongest possible rule to protect public health.
All-told, over 800,000 Americans have submitted public comment in support of the rule—more than any other rule in the agency’s history.
“The tremendous public response to this rule makes clear that Americans recognize the urgent need to reduce mercury, arsenic and other dangerous pollutants in the air we breathe,” said Susan Hedman, EPA Regional Administrator. “EPA’s new standards will prevent thousands of premature deaths and cases of asthma and other illnesses — and they will level the playing field for power plants already using widely available clean technologies.”
The rule will reduce mercury pollution from power plants nationwide by 91 percent, reduce arsenic and acid gases by 91 percent, prevent 12,200 trips to the hospital, and save up to 17,000 lives each year once it is implemented, according to EPA projections.
“This rule is crucial for protecting public health,” said Dr. Susan Buchanan, an Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “It will save billions of dollars in health costs and mean healthier, longer lives for hundreds of thousands of Americans.”
“Destructive emissions from huge coal power plants have been poisoning the air we breathe for far too long,” said Brian Urbaszewski, environmental health director for Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “With asthma rates still increasing across the country, this EPA rule and the huge cuts in acid gas pollution it requires will allow parents of children with asthma to breathe a little easier.”
Power plants are the source of more than half of the nation’s mercury and acid gases and release about 25 percent of air toxics pollution in the United States, according to U.S. EPA.
Municipal and medical waste incinerators used to emit nearly as much mercury as power plants. Under the Clean Air Amendments of 1990, those two sources installed pollution controls to cut their mercury pollution by 96 and 98 percent, respectively. Power plants remain the only major source of toxic air pollution that pollute without limit.
“Congress is trying to delay the mercury and air toxics rule for at least two years – and possibly more,” said Steve Frenkel, Midwest Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Blocking this clean air standard by even one year means more death, disease, and increased healthcare costs for American families and taxpayers. It’s time to clean-up smog, soot, and toxic air pollution from power plants now,” Frenkel said.
“Powering our homes should not poison our kids,” said Catie Krasner, field organizer with Environment Illinois. “Power plants have successfully resisted modern pollution controls for two-decades; it’s well-past time they cleaned up their act.”
The agency will now consider the public comment it has received and is expected to finalize new mercury rules by mid-November.
Clean air rules adopted under the federal Clean Air Act have a positive economic benefit. For just this rule alone, U.S.EPA estimates the value of the air quality improvements for human health could reach up to $140 billion annually while only costing $10.9 billion, yielding a return on investment of more than 13-to-1.
Nationally, more than 200 public health, faith, and environmental organizations expressed support for this rule. Illinois organizations participating in today’s event included: the Union of Concerned Scientists, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, the Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Environment Illinois.
Administration, Auto Industry in Sync with Americans’ Opinion on Fuel Economy
WASHINGTON (July 28, 2011)—Against a backdrop of sharp differences on a variety of current public policy issues, new polling by the Pew Clean Energy Program demonstrates strong support from American voters for immediate action on vehicle fuel economy.
In a national poll* conducted for Pew by the bipartisan polling team The Mellman Group, Inc. and Public Opinion Strategies between July 8-12, 2011, 91 percent of Americans agree that dependence on foreign oil is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” threat to U.S. security, with 61 percent indicating it is a “very serious” threat. These views cut across demographic and partisan lines, with 65 percent of Republicans, 57 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents identifying dependence on foreign oil as a “very serious threat” to national security.
The polling results reinforce news reports of an ambitious proposed interim fuel economy rule agreement reached by the Obama administration, the auto industry and other stakeholders to improve fuel efficiency for cars and light-duty trucks in model years 2017-2025. The proposed standard is to be announced Friday, July 29, 2011.
Protect Injured Federal Workers as They Age
Advocates for federal workers urged Congress this week to not strip compensation benefits from federal workers who were disabled by work-related injuries or illnesses once they reach retirement age.
Joseph A. Beaudoin, President of the National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia to oppose policies that would cause further harm to the workers who were disabled while serving their country.
Tell Obama to Increase your MPGs
If my car got 60 miles per gallon, I’d dance around a chair all day.
Electric Avenue
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was in town last week to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative and to talk with energy professionals in the city. While she was here, we helped set up a few interviews with local media. Here is the result of one such meeting:
Electric cars are right for America
Former Michigan governor and clean/renewable energy missionary Jennifer Granholm stopped by the Sun-Times the other day to tell the Editorial Board that the cost of electric cars could be on par with the price of gas-powered autos as soon as 2017. If that’s actually within the realm of possibility, we are on the cusp of an energy revolution that could advance the cause of energy security and deal a significant blow to the political and economic clout of foreign oil.
Granholm, senior adviser to the Pew Clean Energy Program, was in town to tout, among other initiatives, bills introduced in Congress — including one in the House by Illinois Republican Rep. Judy Biggert — that would promote plug-in autos. The bills would help build an infrastructure of electrical charging stations, aid local governments and private companies in buying electric vehicles, implement marketing campaigns to encourage consumers to purchase them, and require federal agencies to acquire them. The Senate bill by Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander also provides grants for research for more efficient, cheaper batteries.
Illinois Environmental Council Videos
The Illinois Environmental Council is one of the state’s leading environmental watchdogs and the voice of the green community in Springfield. We shot and produced a few videos for their website. Check them out when you get a chance. And be sure to check back throughout the year, as more are in the works.
We got Peeps!
Actually, Ina Pinkney has them. Lots of them.
On Sunday, the Breakfast Queen of Chicago hosted the Peepsters as they cruised across the country spreading the word about their spongy confection.
We caught it all on tape for your enjoyment.
Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op in the News
GCRC discusses the language of protein marketing on WMAQ-TV.
Chicago Mayoral Candidates to Make the Arts a Priority
Chicago Mayoral candidates Carol Moseley Braun, Gery Chico, Miguel del Valle, Rahm Emanuel, William Walls, III, and Patricia Van Pelt Watkins have formally signed the Principles for a 21st Century Creative Chicago.