Victory! Biggest Smog and Soot Power Plant Pollution Cuts in a Decade

[chlamor]

Victory! Biggest Smog and Soot Power Plant Pollution Cuts in a Decade
Environmental Defense's Clean Air For Life Campaign Continues

In a major victory for clean air and the health of you and your family, the U.S. EPA signed into action yesterday the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). This is the biggest cut in unhealthy smog- and soot-forming pollution from power plants in a decade, bringing relief to children, the elderly, asthma suffers and others who are especially sensitive to air pollution.  Environmental Defense applauds EPA's CAIR program and thanks the over 40,000 members and activists who have written to Congress supporting it.

With over 160 million Americans living in areas with unhealthy air, this is a big win for clean air and public health. Power plants pollute air locally, but their tall smokestacks also send soot and chemicals far into the sky, where wind carries them hundreds of miles.  Emissions from Ohio, for example, degrade the air quality in New York and New England.

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More on CAIR's Clean Air Victory
CAIR will result in dramatic power plant air pollution reductions.  The rule will:

- Cut millions of tons of smog- and particulate-forming pollution from power plants across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast, reducing SO2 pollution by about 70% and NOx pollution by 65% by 2015.

- Prevent an estimated 13,000 deaths, 240,000 asthma attacks, and 1.7 million lost work and school days annually.

- Produce $82 billion in benefits with only $3.7 billion in costs, meaning benefits outweigh cost 20 to 1.

- Achieve cost-effective pollution cuts by capping emissions and trading credits through a market-based approached. 

Environmental Defense's Role in Shaping New Air Pollution Program
This clean air victory didn't happen overnight.  Environmental Defense first approached the EPA almost three years ago urging the adoption of a program to cut air pollution across state lines to help communities clean up their air.  Since then, Environmental Defense has helped and pushed the EPA to adopt CAIR.  We settled lawsuits against the EPA requiring them to enforce air pollution health standards and to take action to abate interstate air pollution, and we released the report, Stop Blowing Smoke in the Heartland, which tallied the health benefits of reducing power plant pollution.  These helped make the case to the EPA for the new CAIR program.

Find out more about CAIR, power plant pollution and this clean air victory.

Find out how you can help promote Clean Air For Life.

www.environmentaldefense.org

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Liar!

What are you ralking about?

Everybody knows that George Bush single-handedly reduced pollution in this country. People who think otherwise should watch what they say. We're at war, and any criticism of our Commander-In-Chief in wartime is treason.

God Bless George Bush.

--p!
And then, the acid wore off ...

[whistle]

2. Is there any teeth in the legislation can violators be made to....

...comply or pay heavy fines?

[chlamor]

3. Let us hope so