Dear
Stand up for a strong, protective soot standard! |
There are times to take a big win and make it bigger. This is one of them.
More than 420,000 of us stood together this year and asked the EPA to protect our communities and our families from toxic soot pollution. In the face of massive opposition from Big Coal and their lobbyists, activists like you signed petitions, talked to your friends, attended field hearings, and made your case to the EPA that something has to be done about dangerous and dirty soot pollution.
The EPA listened, and is preparing to take strong action for public health and the climate -- but you can bet Big Coal is looking for ways to weaken these upcoming soot safeguards and protect their profit at your expense.1
That's why we need to make sure the EPA draws a clear line in the sand. Send a message to the EPA asking for the strongest possible soot standard -- one that's based on real science and health concerns.
Soot is a hidden danger: a microscopic mixture of smoke, liquid droplets, and solid metal particles released by sources like coal-burning power plants, petroleum refineries, and vehicle exhaust. Because of its miniscule size, this insidious pollutant can penetrate deep into our lungs and even bloodstreams, causing respiratory ailments, heart attacks, premature deaths, and a wide range of other serious health problems.2
Against a threat like that, guesswork and industry studies aren't good enough. We deserve to know that the air is safe for our families to breathe.
Tell the EPA to stand firm, base this safeguard on real science, and deliver the strongest possible soot standard that truly protects our families.
The EPA is moving in the right direction by asking doctors and scientists to determine exactly what amount of soot constitutes a health risk. You might think this should be a pretty straightforward process, but remember who we're up against. Big Coal and their lobbyists are going to try to cloud the issue by talking about how much it'll cost and how long it'll take to reduce soot emissions. They'll make it sound like this is some big balancing act, with many factors to take into consideration... but they're dead wrong.
The only factor that matters right now is the health of our families and communities.
The EPA will finish its final review in the next few weeks. Act now and tell them to deliver the strongest possible soot standard that truly protects our families.
Thanks for everything you do to protect the environment,
Mary Anne Hitt
Beyond Coal Campaign Director
Sierra Club
P.S. We won the first round in this fight thanks to a groundswell of grassroots action, and that's exactly how we'll win the next round. People power is something Big Coal will never have, so let's press our advantage. Send a copy of this message to your friends and family, and spread the word on your social networks with the share buttons below.
[1] Sick of soot: How the EPA can save lives by cleaning up fine particle air pollution, Clean Air Task Force, Nov. 2011.
[2] Nelson, Gabriel, Air Pollution: Lobbying starts on soot standards, sets stage for summertime brawl, E&E News, June 12, 2012