Statement on the EPA's Final Repeal of Carbon Pollution Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants
WASHINGTON DC — Today, GreenLatinos condemned the Environmental Protection Agency’s final repeal of carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, a decision that weakens public health protections and increases the climate and pollution burden already carried by Latino and working-class communities.
The Biden Administration's 2024 carbon pollution standards were not perfect, and GreenLatinos previously raised concerns about the rule's reliance on false solutions like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. Still, the standards represented an important step toward reducing pollution from one of the nation’s largest emitting sectors and reaffirmed EPA’s responsibility to protect public health.
For Latino communities, this rollback is an affordability, environmental justice, and public health issue. Latino households in major cities face median energy costs 24% higher than white households, while more than 1.6 million Hispanics live within a half mile of oil and gas wells, exposing many families to pollution linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health impacts. The power plant standards were projected to prevent up to 1,200 premature deaths, 360,000 asthma attacks, and 57,000 lost workdays in 2035 alone. A national Latino Decisions poll commissioned by NRDC also found 86% of Latino voters supported limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
Irene Burga, Climate Justice and Clean Air Director at GreenLatinos, issued the following statement:
“For too long, Latino and working-class communities have paid the price of the climate crisis through dirtier air, dangerous heat, higher energy costs, and worsening health, while fossil fuel companies continue to profit. Repealing these standards demonstrates, once again, that this administration is choosing to protect polluters’ profits while asking our families to absorb the costs in higher bills, more pollution, and poorer health.
Latino communities should not be treated as sacrifice zones for the fossil fuel industry. We will not accept a future where polluters get a free pass, and our families are left with the bill. We will continue to make our voice heard and fight for the health and well-being of our communities.”
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Acerca de GreenLatinos –
(NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) GreenLatinos convoca a una comunidad activa de líderes ambientales, de conservación y de justicia climática, arraigada en el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unida para impulsar nuestras prioridades y motivada a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
