EPA's Carbon Pollution Standard has Strong Support

Over one million people have expressed their strong support for the EPA’s proposed protections from dangerous carbon pollution produced by new coal-fired power plants. The EPA wants to create regulations as authorized by the Clean Air Act (see Laws Statutes for the Clean Air Act). NSR permits have been required by regulations since the 1970’s but the EPA is working to update and improve these regulations. The EPA action to adopt carbon pollution standards will help clean up and modernize the way we power the country and prevent life-threatening air pollution like toxic mercury, dirty soot and the smog that triggers asthma attacks.

On May 24, 2012, Sierra Club activists and others packed two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) public hearings in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Sierra Club activists joined health professionals, labor union leaders, parents, faith leaders, and public officials in testifying.

These are the first national limits on carbon pollution being spewed into the air by the nation’s largest sources, dirty coal-fired power plants.

“We are here today to thank the Obama administration, and to show our ironclad support for limiting dangerous carbon pollution being dumped into our air,” said Mary Anne Hitt, Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, who testified at the Washington, DC hearing with her 2-year-old daughter, Hazel. “These standards will allow EPA to focus on the industry that creates the lion’s share of the nation’s carbon pollution – Big Coal. For the sake of our kids and families who need clean air to breathe, workers who need good jobs, and all of us who need a stable climate, we urge the EPA to quickly finalize strong carbon pollution standards.”

In Chicago, the leaders that testified in favor of the carbon pollution standards include Brian Urbaszewski of the American Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and Steve Frenkel, the director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Midwest office.

In Washington, D.C., testifiers included Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign and Laura Anderko, RN, PHD, Endowed Chair at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

The EPA’s public comment period for the proposed EPA carbon pollution standards began April 13 and concludes on June 25.

The carbon pollution standard has already generated more supportive comments than any other EPA standard in history. More than 1.3 million Americans have already submitted public comments supporting EPA action to adopt carbon pollution standards.

Click here to add your name to a virtual rally for people to send messages to the EPA and to Administrator Lisa Jackson showing support for the carbon pollution standards.