Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week our action focuses on strengthening the air pollution standards for power plants.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental advocacy groups have recently submitted comments from 580,000 people urging EPA to cut deadly soot pollution from power plants.

Next on the checklist for cleaning up power plants: mercury and other toxic air pollutants.

EPA just proposed strengthening standards that limit emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution from power plants that burn coal and oil. These proposed new standards would be a much-needed upgrade, but they don’t go far enough to protect public health and the environment.

The proposal would tighten the mercury emission limits for plants that burn dirty lignite coal, and it would require continuous pollution monitoring at all coal plants. The new proposal would also tighten the standard for hazardous particle pollution. With EPA taking comment on a range of potential options for this standard, we must encourage EPA to go with the most protective option.

The power sector is one of the nation’s biggest polluters. Power plants are among the country’s largest sources of mercury, a neurotoxin that can harm children’s developing nervous systems and reduce their ability to think and learn. Toxic power plant pollution also increases the risk of heart attacks, asthma, and cancer.

EPA should move quickly to further strengthen standards to ensure that all communities are better protected from the toxic air pollutants that power plants emit. These public health improvements are especially important for children and vulnerable populations, and for communities near coal-burning power plants.

Please sign the letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan encouraging him to go with the most protective air quality standards to ensure that all communities are better protected from the toxic air pollutants that power plants emit.

Options to Take Action:

1. Sign a letter at the Action Table on Sunday.
2. Download, sign and mail an action letter to EPA Administrator Regan.
3. Go to National Resources Defense Council’s Action on the Daily KOS.

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If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.