Dear Friends,
As you know, President Obama announced his new clean power initiative. Here and see #cleanpowerplan. As usual the Republicans and coal state Democrats are going crazy in their attempts to stop the plan. The hypocrisy of the "pro-life" and "non-racist" Republicans is blatant.
The EPA defines environmental justice:
Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.NAACP published a study a few years ago based on EPA data through 2010, entitled "Coal Blooded, Putting Profits Before People" (here). This report not only lays out the terrible impact of coal-fired power plants on the environment and people who live near them, but also points out how communities of color suffer disproportionately from the negative impacts of these power plants. I have picked out a few of the conclusions reported in this study:
What is meant by fair treatment and meaningful involvement?
Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies
Meaningful Involvement means that:
people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health;
the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision;
their concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and
the decision makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.
- African-Americans are hospitalized for asthma at three times the rate of whites, and the death rate from asthma is 172 percent higher for African-Americans than for whites.
- a 2010 report on power plant pollution by the Clean Air Task Force found that coal power plant pollution in the U.S. is responsible for 13,200 premature deaths and 9,700 hospitalizations each year, as well as over $100 billion in monetary damages.
- The U.S. is home to 75 ‘Failing Plants’ by Environmental Justice Standards In this ranking (see Appendix 1 for the complete ranking), 75 plants earned an environmental justice performance grade of “F.” These 75 ‘failing plants’ produced only 8 percent of U.S. electricity in 2005, but they were responsible for 14 percent of SO2 emissions and 13 percent of all NOX emissions from all U.S. power plants.
- Approximately two million Americans live within three miles of one of these 12 plants [the 12 worst environmental justice coal-fired power plant offenders] and the average per capita income of these nearby residents is $14,626 (compared with the U.S. average of $21,587). Approximately 76 percent of these nearby residents are people of color.
These 75 failing plants have a considerable and disproportionate impact on people of color and low-income people. A total of four million people live within three miles of these 75 failing plants. The average per capita income of these four million people is just $17,500 (or 25% lower than state average), and out of these four million people, nearly 53 percent are people of color.
Particulate matter is, perhaps, the most harmful pollutant produced by coal-fired power plants. While particulate matter is released directly from smokestacks to some extent, a much greater amount of particle pollution is formed from atmospheric reactions of SO2 and NOx. As the source of nearly 60 percent of the nation's total SO2 emissions,2 coal combustion is one of the most significant contributors to particulate
Figure 2. Health Impacts of Coal Plant Particle Pollutionpollution in the U.S. According to the American Lung Association, more than 93 million Americans live in areas where they are exposed to unhealthful short-term levels of particulate matter and more than 54 million people live in regions with harmful year-round levels of particulate matter.5 Inhaling particulate matter can result a wide range of adverse health effects, including asthma attacks, lung tissue damage, stroke, heart attack and premature death.8 The public health burden of particle pollution is staggering; a recent study estimated that particulate matter from coal plants is responsible for nearly 24,000 deaths each year (see Figure 2).9
Burning coal also produces millions of pounds of toxic air emissions each year, making coal-fired power plants the largest source of air toxics in the U.S. In EPA smoke stack tests, coal plants were found to release 67 different air toxics, many of which are known or probable human carcinogens and neurotoxins that can harm brain development and irritate the respiratory system.10 Among the array of air toxics emitted by coal plants, mercury is the pollutant of greatest concern. In 2005, coal plants were responsible for more than 65 percent of all mercury air emissions.3After mercury is released to the air, it is deposited in bodies of water where it is converted to methylmercury (an organic form) that accumulates in fish tissues. Humans are exposed to mercury primarily through the consumption of contaminated fish. Methlymercury's neurotoxic effects are particularly threatening to fetal and child development. Fetal exposure via the placenta can cause mental retardation and brain damage, while continued exposure in early childhood can result in learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.11 Approximately one in six women of childbearing age now have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood and it is estimated that between 300,000 and 600,000 children are at serious risk of severe neurological and developmental impairment from mercury exposure each year.12 Though mercury poses the greatest threat to children, research shows that mercury exposure may increase the risk of coronary heart disease among men.11I could go on and on because the more you look the more terrible things you find that result from burning coal. But I won't.
The fact is President Obama is proposing more environmental justice by reducing the incredibly racist impact of coal-fired power plants on people of color and the poor and protecting the life and health of all people particularly children. To be against his proposal is to be for the status quo which is extremely racist and kills and permanently damages children. The fact that the Republicans oppose this plan is once again solid proof that they support institutional racism and only support birth but not life after birth.
Bravo to President Obama for addressing these problems. Now I hope that he will call out the Republicans for their hypocrisy.
Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal
