Fifty States United for Healthy Air

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

>Fifty States United for Healthy Air

A Broad Perspective on Protecting Health Doctors, nurses, clergy and affect ed 
citizens
travel from across the country to Washington demanding clean air

See: http://www.ncccusa.org/news/110504healthyair.html

Washington, May 4, 2011 - All Americans have a right to breathe clean, heal thy 
air.
 
That's the simple, powerful message that is being presented to Obama Admini 
stration officials and elected officials on Capitol Hill this week by docto rs, 
nurses, faith and tribal leaders, social justice advocates and affected  
citizens from all 50 states.
 
This unprecedented gathering of more than 150 persons representing dozens o f 
faith, health, environmental, and community groups will be meeting with R 
epresentatives, Senators and other officials on a wide range of health stan 
dards being considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
 
Communities across the country are routinely exposed to harmful levels of t 
oxic air pollution from industrial sources such as power plants, cement pla 
nts, and
incinerators. This pollution is robbing people in these communities of thei r 
lives, their health, and their ability to raise their children in healthy  
homes, back
yards, schools, playgrounds and parks.
 
May is recognized as "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month," and the  
impact of dirty air on those suffering from asthma is severe and pervasive . By 
simply
cleaning up power plants-our nation's dirtiest polluters-the EPA estimates  
that 120,000 asthma attacks will be avoided each year.
 
Calling themselves "50 States United for Healthy Air," the group is compris ed 
of representatives from American Nurses Association, Earthjustice, Hip H op 
Caucus, Interfaith Power & Light, the National Council of Churches and P 
hysicians for Social Responsibility.
 
They are focused on crucial health protections that are currently under att ack 
by well-financed industry groups and their lobbyists and allies on Capi tol 
Hill. The national health-protective standards, overseen by the EPA, in clude:

o A proposal in March that set the first ever federal regulations on mercur y 
and other toxic air pollution from power plants;

o Strong, health-based protections for cement plant pollution, finalized in  
August 2010, saving an estimated 2,500 lives every year;

o A proposal to regulate harmful coal ash dumps and landfills;

o A rule finalized in February that limits toxic air pollution from thousan ds 
of boilers and incinerators located in communities across the country;

o A January 2010 standard that is anticipated to be final by July that woul d 
limit ozone pollution-commonly referred to as smog-in cities and towns ac ross 
the country.

But several members in the House are discussing legislation that would dela y 
or eliminate these protections. For example, Rep. Carter (R-Tex.) has pro posed 
legislation (H.J. Res. 42) that would eliminate the standard cleaning  up 
cement plant pollution, and Rep. McKinley (R-W.Va.) are pushing for a v ote on 
legislation (H.R. 1391) that will prohibit the EPA from requiring to xic coal 
ash in a manner that will protect public health. There are also se veral 
members of Congress queuing up to swipe at the full set of national h 
ealth-protective standards recently proposed or finalized.
 
Despite the overwhelming benefits of these health protections-tens of thous 
ands of lives saved every year, major reductions in asthma, heart disease,  
respiratory
ailments, cancer and other illnesses, and billions of dollars in savings fo r 
the American public-industrial polluters are influencing Congress to dela y or 
even block these health protections from taking effect.
 
Toxic air pollution poisons our bodies and claims tens of thousands of live s 
each year. Mercury, arsenic, lead, dioxins, smog, fine particles and doze ns of 
other
pollutants are pumped out daily from power plants, cement kilns, boilers, i 
ncinerators and other industrial facilities. These pollutants can cause can 
cer, heart and lung disease, asthma and developmental disorders.

Lives are at stake, and the federal government has an important role to pla y 
in protecting the lives of those most at risk: the young, elderly and com 
munities where air quality levels routinely fall below acceptable health pr 
otective standards. The EPA estimates that more than 300,000 newborns each  
year may have increased risk of learning disabilities associated with in ut ero 
exposure to methylmercury.
 
"From its earliest days, the nursing profession has understood the importan ce 
of a clean, healthy environment to human health," said ANA President, Dr . 
Karen A. Daley. "After all, it was Florence Nightingale who established a s the 
first rule of nursing, 'Keep the air within as pure as the air withou t.' But 
the purity and safety of our air is at risk. Mounting scientific ev idence 
indicates that the human body is becoming a reservoir for the toxic  chemicals 
found in the air, water, food, household products, and even in pr oducts 
commonly used in the provision of health care. That is why ANA is pr oud to 
help convene the 50 States for Healthy Air, to protect our environme nt, and 
its impact on human health."
 
"The Clean Air Act is our nation's strongest, most successful tool in clean ing 
up dangerous and toxic air pollution from industrial sources," said Ear 
thjustice
President Trip Van Noppen. "Despite decades of success protecting millions  of 
Americans and saving taxpayer money, some members of Congress are attack ing 
the Clean Air Act in cooperation with the polluters who would finally b e 
forced to clean up their mess. These doctors, nurses, faith leaders and a 
ffected citizens are bringing a message to their members of Congress to pro 
tect our health and the health of our children by cleaning up this toxic ai r 
pollution."
 
"It is unconscionable that some elected leaders in Congress and deep-pocket ed 
industry groups are promoting a right to pollute over the God given righ t to 
breathe," said the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President and CEO of the  Hip Hop 
Caucus. "Low-income and communities of color suffer disproportiona tely from 
sickness and death due to toxic air pollution. The Hip Hop Caucus  and our 
allies from all 50 states are standing together to protect the vul nerable from 
absolute reckless greed."
 
"These attempts by certain members of the House and Senate pose a reckless  
threat to the air we breathe. We are seeing skewed values that favor pollut ers 
over
children's health," said the Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham, president of Inte 
rfaith Power & Light. People of faith strongly urge Congress to remember th e 
moral and
ethical dimensions of this issue as they review and vote on any new legisla 
tion."
 
"Air pollution from coal-fired power plants, vehicles and industrial source s 
contribute to heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respirator y 
diseases. In other words, air pollution is killing Americans," said Peter  
Wilk, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
 
"It's also shortening their lives, costing them days lost from school and w 
ork, sending them to the hospital, and hitting them hard in the pocketbook, " 
Wilk said. "As health professionals, we at PSR are gravely concerned. We  know 
we can do better to clean up the air. Setting health-protective rules  for 
limiting toxic air pollutants, and carrying them out consistently, will  save 
lives and save money."

>Contact:

Tyler Edgar, National Council of Churches (239)560-1560

Mary McNamara, American Nurses Association (301) 628-5198

Jared Saylor, Earthjustice (202) 667-4500, x213

Jennifer Bynoe, Hip Hop Caucus (202) 293-5902

Barbara Gottlieb, Physicians for Social Responsibility (202) 587-5225
 

>---

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ  in 
the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among C 
hristians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wi de 
spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic Africa n 
American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more  than 
100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 646-853-4212 ( 
cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org