Dear
Sign on as a grassroots supporter to the Indianapolis Beyond Coal Sign-on Letter! Stephen J. Jay is a physician in Indianapolis |
As a physician who serves patients in low-income neighborhoods in Indianapolis, I see many people who suffer from asthma, chronic lung disease, and have difficulty breathing. Many of my patients cannot afford healthcare, so I've seen many on a pro-bono basis, providing the preventative care needed to avoid more costly trips to the hospital.
For these reasons, I've decided to speak out about the health risks of our continued reliance on coal-fired power plants to generate electricity. I teach my health professions' students about the effects of air pollution and the need for public health policies that protect citizens from environmental harm. That's why I'm joining with other community leaders to call on Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) to move its aging Harding Street coal-fired power plant toward retirement, while investing in clean, renewable energy.
IPL's Harding Street coal-fired power plant is the single largest polluter in Indianapolis. Just a few short miles from Monument Circle, IPL's dirty plant pours 1.4 million pounds of toxic chemicals into our air each year. This single plant accounts for 88 percent of Indianapolis's toxic pollution.1
For decades IPL has operated this dirty coal plant on Indy's south side, leading to poor health, higher health care costs, and even premature death for Indy's residents -- IPL's own customers. It's no wonder that in the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2013," Marion County earned a failing grade for soot or particle pollution and a "D" grade for ozone pollution.2
In fact, Indy has the dubious honor of being one of the "Top 20" most polluted cities in the United States for soot pollution. Soot is one of the most dangerous air pollutants and has been linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions, heart attacks, premature death. Particulate matter causes cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer and more illnesses.
IPL's plan to pour more than half-a-billion dollars into coal-fired plants would mean higher energy bills and higher health care costs for Indy residents. It would mean continued generation of toxic mercury, arsenic, lead, carbon, and coal ash -- which would continue to harm our health and our children's health as long as that plant continues to burn coal.
This is a critical time for our city -- Indianapolis Power and Light's plans will lock Indianapolis into another 20 or 30 years of pollution, health risks and rising fossil fuel costs. We know IPL can do better, and we call on you to join us in asking IPL to move Indy beyond coal.
With just one decision -- opting to retire the Harding Street coal-fired power plant -- IPL can make a dramatic difference for the patients I serve and for the quality of the air we breathe.
Sincerely,
Stephen J. Jay, M.D.
Indianapolis Physician
P.S. After you take action, be sure to forward this alert to your friends and colleagues!
P.P.S. Save the date: On Saturday, June 1, we will be presenting this letter with grassroots supporters and community leaders from across Indianapolis as we publicly call on IPL to retire the Harding Street coal plant. We'll follow up with additional details soon, but please RSVP here.
Sources:
1. Toxic Release Inventory, US EPA, 2011.
2. State of the Air Report Card for Marion County, American Lung Association, 2013.