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February 27, 2003
CONTACTS: Jon Sinker - 215-567-4004 ext. 222
Senator Specter Called
to Stand Up For Clean Air,
Oppose Bush Administration Proposal to Increase Air Pollution
Introduced in Congress Today
Philadelphia, PA- Clean air
and public health advocates today come together to strongly
oppose the Administration's "Clear Skies Initiative"
air pollution plan, which was introduced in Congress today.
The plan deals with pollution from the oldest and dirtiest
"grandfathered" power plants.
"This proposal comes in the wake
of a report released just this week, by the Bush Administration,
indicating the growing danger to children posed by power
plant emissions of mercury," said Joseph Otis Minott,
Executive Director of Clean Air Council. "The study
also reaffirmed the explosion of asthma among our nation's
youth. Dirty older power plants are to blame."
The Bush Administration's air pollution
plan repeals and weakens key provisions of the Clean Air
Act. The current Clean Air Act will deliver greater pollution
reductions sooner than the initiative proposed by the President.
The Administration plan rolls back the existing law's public
health safeguards that protect local air quality, reduce
toxic mercury emissions, curb pollution from upwind to downwind
states, and restore visibility to our national parks. The
Administration plan does nothing to curb power plant carbon
dioxide emissions, the main cause of global warming.
"Senator Specter should stand
up for clean air in Pennsylvania and reject weakening the
Clean Air Act, Minott said. "Instead of supporting
the President's plan, he should instead work to pass legislation
that will actually protect public health, protects the environment,
and deal with global warming."
According to an internal U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) analysis made public last year,
the Administration's air pollution plan will establish weaker
limits, over a longer timeframe, than just enforcing the
Clean Air Act currently on the books. In addition:
- According to an analysis using EPA's
modeling runs, the Administration's air pollution plan
will mean over 100,000 unnecessary, premature deaths between
now and 2020. These deaths would be avoided under rigorous
enforcement of the current Clean Air Act.
- According to EPA's own analysis, even
after the Administration's air pollution plan is fully
implemented, at least 60 million people would still live
in areas that violate air quality standards.
- Power plants are the largest uncontrolled
source of mercury. EPA's own analysis demonstrates that
while the Administration's air pollution plan would reduce
overall mercury emissions nationally compared with today's
levels, it will result in increases in mercury emissions
at 128 major power plants around the U.S.
For a more
complete analysis of the impacts of the Bush plan, please
see the attached fact sheet.
"Women of child-bearing age, and
all Pennsylvania parents, have good reasons to be concerned
about the impact on children of these emissions from these
oldest and dirtiest power plants," INSERT PRINCIPAL
said. "Senator Specter needs to let Washington know
the last thing Pennsylvania wants is more mercury and power
plant pollution in the air."
This legislation is of particular interest
to Pennsylvanians because the state suffers from some of
the worst air pollution in the Country. In 2002, Pennsylvania
had 50 'smog days', which tied it for third in the nation
for most smog days (with North Carolina) also Pennsylvania
recently came in second in the nation for mercury air pollution.
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