Take a stand for cleaner air

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a clean air standard to drastically cut mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants, which will save as many as 17,000 lives and prevent 120,000 asthma attacks a year. On May 24, I attended a hearing in Chicago and submitted a comment regarding this new stricter standard. I attended the hearing because the evidence is clear. Power plants are the dominant emitters of mercury as well as acid gases and toxic metals. And control technologies to remedy this situation are readily available. Passing federal standards to require power plants to limit their emissions of toxic air pollutants is necessary and long overdue.

There were many people there to show support for cleaner, healthier air, and I appreciated the opportunity to express my view. But I also know that the coal companies and their allies in Congress are trying to stop the EPA from cutting this dangerous pollution. Mercury is a very serious threat to the health and breath of children and adults in Illinois. Pollution is a form of poisoning. Since we know the problem and the solution, it is time to act in the best interests of our citizens and our natural environment. The EPA needs our overwhelming support to complete this step, and I encourage others to stand up to the nation’s biggest polluters by showing their support for EPA through public comment.

Carla Eisenberg

Hanover Park