GreenLatinos Commends Biden Administration's Actions on Power Plants and other Suite of Actions Protecting Health
WASHINGTON — On April 25, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a package of standards to slash carbon, coal ash, mercury, wastewater and other toxic pollution from power plants. Power plants are one of the largest polluters in the country and new policies will help cut the entire power sector’s carbon emissions by over 75% by 2035. The safeguards will also cut down on toxic air and water pollutants, like mercury and arsenic, preventing 1,200 early deaths and 360,000 asthma attacks a year. In response, GreenLatinos Climate Justice & Clean Air Program Director, Irene Burga released the following statement:
"Today's actions from the Biden Administration and EPA Administrator Regan signal a crucial response to environmental justice communities' calls for stronger pollution reduction measures. We applaud the removal of hydrogen co-firing from the power plant rule, marking significant progress in safeguarding public health, particularly in marginalized communities. These steps align with the Administration’s 2030 climate goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half. However, there's more to be done, including setting carbon pollution standards for existing gas-fired power plants and prioritizing community input to address cumulative impacts. GreenLatinos stresses the importance of genuine solutions over false ones like Carbon Capture & Sequestration, advocating for a full transition to clean energy. Today, during Earth Week, we celebrate these efforts as a victory for clean air and public health, fulfilling promises of pollution protection from President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan."
About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
