The American Public Health Association joined the American Lung Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and other national health organizations at a Senate briefing Tuesday to recognize the tremendous health benefits of the Clean Air Act and defend the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to apply tougher air pollution rules for coal-burning power plants, the largest source of harmful air emissions. Tuesday’s briefing comes amid heightened scrutiny among House Republicans who threaten to delay the power plant rules and weaken EPA’s authority to protect public health.
Timed with the briefing, the groups ran a full-page ad on Tuesday in widely read Capitol Hill publications urging EPA to update its standards for power plants. One of the proposed rules would require plants be equipped with updated technology to limit emissions. The ad features a young boy on his father’s shoulders with a headline that reads, “He’s one more reason air standards matter.” Go here to view the ad.
According to EPA estimates, the proposed standards could prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks and 4,500 cases of chronic bronchitis by 2016. The ad is part of the group’s continued efforts to ensure that EPA puts in place important public health measures that protect American families from harmful air pollution. For more information on the proposed rule, go here.
