Breathing healthy air is essential to life. That’s why the American Lung Association in Virginia welcomes the Clean Power Plan and wants to thank Senators Warner and Kaine for standing up for clean breathing air for Virginia’s nearly 164,000 children with asthma and the 1.1 million older adults who live in the state by supporting EPA’s new carbon pollution standard.
The Clean Power Plan will immediately reduce other air pollutants that cause asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death. This will keep kids out of the hospital and in school or playing outside, and help keep older adults breathing easier. EPA estimates the health benefits of the Clean Power Plan include preventing up to 3,600 premature deaths in 2030, preventing 90,000 asthma attacks and avoiding 300,000 days missed from work and school each year.
Now that the Clean Power Plan is final, we turn our attention to securing a strong state plan. We urge our fellow Virginians to reach out to Governor McAuliffe and Department of Environmental Quality Director, David Paylor and ask them to adopt the strongest plan possible to protect the health of Virginians.
Jennifer Kaufer is the Healthy Air Coalition Coordinator for the American Lung Association in Virginia.
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