For Immediate Release:
June 7, 2011
Contact: Maggie Kao, 202-675-2384
Cross-State Air Pollution Protection will Improve Lives of Millions of Americans
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Cross-State Air Pollution rule to protect Americans from dangerous air pollution from coal-fired power plants. Once implemented, the protection will reduce dangerous soot and smog pollution from power plants in 27 states and help curb poor air quality days and respiratory illnesses that affect millions of Americans.
In response, Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
”The Sierra Club applauds EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s Cross-State Air Pollution announcement today to protect Americans from life-threatening air pollution produced by coal-fired power plants.
“This long overdue and much-needed action will help communities clean up their air and save lives by curbing millions of tons of air pollution that travel downwind and across state lines each year.
“Once implemented, we will begin to see the effects of the protection almost immediately – beginning in 2014, the protection will prevent between 13,000 and 34,000 premature deaths annually, avoid 19,000 emergency room visits, prevent 1.8 million missed work and school days and improve the lives of millions. The benefits of the protection will also save Americans as much as $280 billion in annual health costs, while costing only about $2.4 billion annually to implement.”
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