Repealing the Clean Power Plan Will Threaten Thousands of Lives

Washington, D.C.  - Today, amid reports that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is cooking the books to discount the numerous health and economic benefits of the Clean Power Plan, Pruitt announced that he would sign an order repealing the plan tomorrow.

The Clean Power Plan protects the health of our families and communities by curbing dangerous, climate-disrupting carbon pollution that is exacerbating extreme weather events, and by reducing other harmful pollutants that contribute to dangerous smog and soot, causing heart attacks, respiratory illnesses, and even premature deaths.

EPA previously projected that the Clean Power Plan would prevent 90,000 childhood asthma attacks, 300,000 missed work and school days, and 3,600 premature deaths annually by 2030. The Plan would result in annual climate benefits of $20 billion and annual health benefits of between $14 and $34 billion. It would also reduce the average consumer’s electricity bill by $85 per year and save consumers a total of $155 billion over the course of the next decade.

In Response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune Released the Following Statement

“With this news, Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt will go down in infamy for launching one of the most egregious attacks ever on public health, our climate, and the safety of every community in the United States. The damage caused by Trump’s willful ignorance will now have myriads of human faces, because he’s proposing to throw out a plan that would prevent thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of childhood asthma attacks every year.  As the climate crisis has made storms like Harvey, Irma, and Maria exponentially worse, Trump’s decision to attack climate action through this expected repeal is exponentially more dangerous for our families. By repealing the Clean Power Plan, the Trump Administration will throw out an affordable, flexible, and life-saving plan to cut dangerous carbon pollution from power plants, giving the fossil fuel industry a free pass to keep polluting our air while our families pay the price.

“Trump is not just ignoring the deadly cost of pollution, he’s ignoring the clean energy deployment that is rapidly creating jobs across the country. Over the past six years, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign and our partners have secured the retirement of more than 250 U.S.coal plants and pushed for record clean energy growth around the country. We’ve retired ten coal plants under Trump, the two largest clean energy projects in history have been announced, and cities ranging from Salt Lake City to San Diego are committing to 100 percent clean energy. The Clean Power Plan has been a critically important catalyst for continuing this momentum and ensuring that the benefits of reducing pollution and growing the clean energy economy are deployed equitably and fairly across the country. Without it, there are serious questions about where and how clean energy will develop and whether everyone can enjoy the health and financial benefits of reducing dangerous pollution.”

“No matter who is in the White House, the EPA is legally required to limit dangerous carbon pollution, and the Clean Power Plan is an achievable, affordable way to do that. It is a key element in continuing the progress moving toward clean energy and retiring coal, as it is already a part of most planning by utilities and Public Utility Commissions. These are reasons why many states are already on track to meet or exceed their 2030 emissions goals years ahead of schedule -- but too many communities are being left behind by Trump’s destructive decisions. Make no mistake, the fight against this dangerous decision is only just beginning. We will mobilize to make our voices heard when the EPA conducts its legally-required comment period and we will challenge any dirty strategy that violates the Clean Air Act in court. Trump can’t reverse our clean energy and climate progress with the stroke of a pen, and we’ll fight him and Scott Pruitt in the courts, in the streets, and at the state and local level across America to protect the health of every community.”

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