As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this news release.
Mystic, Conn.
-- New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers approved a resolution
urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its recent decision
to relax rules requiring old coal-fired power plants to install new pollution
control equipment when making upgrades to the facility.
The resolution, introduced
by Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, stated that the EPA's new rules fail
to provide adequate protection for the public health of American and Canadian
citizens in the Northeast. The new rules revise a part of the Clean Air Act
called New Source Review. New Source Review was adopted to close a loophole
in the Clean Air Act that allowed factories and power plants built before the
law's passage to avoid installing modern pollution control technologies.
"New Source Review
aimed to clean up the nation's oldest and dirtiest factories and power plants,"
said Matthew Auten of RIPIRG. "By gutting New Source Review the EPA is
putting our health and environment at risk. We are glad that Gov. Carcieri has
stood up to the Bush administration's clean air rollbacks and we look forward
to working with the governor in adopting the state-based programs we need reduce
air pollution and protect public health in Rhode Island," he continued.
The EPA's rollbacks seem
sure to have a negative impact on air quality in Rhode Island, which is already
poor.
"Air pollution is
creating a public health crisis," said Art Handy of ALARI.
Last year air pollution
caused nearly 400 preventable asthma attacks and 20 deaths in Rhode Island.
The weakening of New Source Review will mean more asthma attacks, more emergency
room visits and more days when it is unhealthy to be outside," he continued.
The resolution also stated
concerns that the burden of reducing air pollution will largely fall upon the
shoulders of the New England and Eastern Canada. "It is unfortunate that
we will not be getting
any help from Washington in reducing air pollution in New England," said
Auten.
"Still there are several
cost effective steps we can take at the state level to reduced air pollution,"
he continued. "First, Rhode Island should adopt a Clean Cars Standard.
Bringing cleaner more fuel-efficient cars to the state is an easy way to reduce
the role we play in creating our own air pollution problems. Second, we should
promote energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce our dependence on dirty
and dangerous sources of energy like coal," he concluded.
RIPIRG is the Rhode Island
Public Interest Research Group.
ALARI is the American Lung Association of Rhode Island.
