Health Advocates, Pediatricians, Faith Leaders and Parents Line Up to Testify in Support of EPA's Proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Rule

On Thursday, May 26, 60 concerned health and environmental advocates, health practitioners, scientists and faith leaders joined Mothers & Others for Clean Air at the Sam Nunn Federal Building to testify in support of EPA's proposed Mercury & Air Toxics Rule. Only 12 individuals testified in opposition to the rule, including Chris Hobson of Southern Company (parent company of Georgia Power). Jac Capp, Chief of the Air Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), stated the following in his testimony:

"With regard to EPA's proposed rule, Georgia EPD believes that effective national regulation of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from EGUs [electrical generating units] is: (1) required by the Clean Air Act, (2) important from environmental and public health perspectives, and (3) technically feasible and cost effective."

The proposed rule would limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants, keeping 91 percent of the mercury in coal from being released into the air. Currently, there are no national limits on the amount of mercury and other toxic air pollution released from power plant smokestacks. Harmful particle pollution also will be reduced, preventing hundreds of thousands of illnesses and up to 17,000 premature deaths each year. The savings in avoided healthcare costs as a result of the rule would far exceed the costs of controls to comply with the rule.

Download testimony from Mothers & Others for Clean Air.
Download testimony from M&O Steering Committee member Dr. Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, made on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Did you miss the hearing? Please contact EPA today with a brief email calling for the strongest possible rule! It is VERY IMPORTANT to include the docket number in the subject line: EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0234. Comments are due by July 5.

Download American Lung Association talking points.

Download EPA's fact sheet about the proposed rule.

M&O Director Rebecca Watts Hull, Steering Committee member Dr. Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, and Janice Nolen from our Partner organization American Lung Association testified at the hearing.

Attack on Clean Air Protections Continues in 2011 Budget Negotiations

Environmental Defense Fund has developed a comprehensive analysis of amendments to the 2011 House of Representatives appropriations bill that would roll back many environmental protections including the ability of EPA to safeguard clean air. Please review the analysis and let your Representative know you support clean air protections!

Take the Pledge!

Add your name to the growing list of mothers and others concerned about our air quality by taking the Mothers & Others for Clean Air Pledge.

Take the Pledge Now!

Education

Learn about air pollution and the impact on public health. Help educate others by scheduling a Mothers & Others for Clean Air presentation for your club, school, church or workplace. Contact us to request materials or to schedule a presentation for your next meeting or event.

Personal Action
We challenge all Georgians to commit to one modest change that will contribute to cleaner air. A variety of suggestions are provided below. Because tailpipe and smokestack emissions are the largest sources of pollution, most of these actions focus on transportation and energy use.  Please check this website regularly for updates and new suggestions. Make a commitment to try at least one of these.

• Change a light bulb. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) fill our rooms with equal light while using about 75 percent LESS electricity than incandescent bulbs. Using CFLs is an inexpensive and effective way to easily cut your energy usage and save money. http://www.gipl.org/CFLs.html

• Reduce your energy consumption in other ways.  Purchase Energy Star Appliances.  Put your computer to sleep or turn it off when not in use.  Turn your thermostat one degree higher during summer months.

• Carpool or use public transit. Take control over your commute and save time and money. Carpool, telework or use public transit, a vanpool or another transportation alternative to avoid metro traffic and reduce tailpipe emissions at the same time. http://www.cleanaircampaign.com/your_commute To find the best transit route from one part of metro Atlanta to another, use Citizens for Progressive Transit's Trip Planner.

• Purchase locally grown food when possible.  On average, the food in a typical American meal travels 1,500 miles to get to your plate!  Buying local produce and meat and dairy products when available reduces the diesel pollution associated with long-distance trucking and shipping.  Check the Georgia Organics web site to find a market near you. 

• Click on these links for other ways to reduce your energy consumption, including reducing the amount of power used by your computer.

Advocacy

Many individuals and groups support our work for cleaner air by writing letters or emails, making phone calls or attending public meetings to support policy changes and increased funding to improve air quality. You can help by signing up to receive action alerts through the Georgia Environmental Action Network (GEAN), a web-based tool that makes it simple to contact your elected officials and make your voice heard when the need arises.  Register with GEAN as a friend of Mothers & Others for Clean Air by clicking here.