Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a suite of finalized pollution safeguards for the power sector, including strengthened standards on hazardous air pollutants under the life-saving Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) and measures to cut carbon pollution from new gas power plants and existing coal-fired power plants. These critical standards will defend our communities from life-threatening toxins like mercury and other Hazardous Air Pollutants–such as hydrochloric acid, arsenic, chromium, and soot–and prevent hundreds of premature deaths and hospital visits in the year 2035 alone. Additionally, it is estimated that the improved standards will yield $170 million to $220 million in health benefits and $170 million in climate benefits every year.
In response, Tori Goebel, National Organizer and Spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA), released the following statement:
“For far too long, our communities have been burdened by environmental injustice caused by fossil fuel pollution. The fossil fuel industry has continued to profit while our neighbors pay the price through negative consequences including serious, and even deadly, health impacts and climate-fueled extreme weather events. According to the American Lung Association, more than 1 in 3 Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of pollution. 90% of U.S. counties, home to more than 300 million people, suffered a climate-related disaster in the last decade, and 2023 marked the world’s warmest year on record.
“YECA has long been engaged with the work of defending mercury safeguards and advocating for strong carbon pollution standards. Young Christians have testified at numerous public hearings, submitted LTEs and op-eds, crafted public comments, and called on our leaders to implement the strongest possible protections for our communities. Today we are celebrating these important and timely announcements from the EPA. It is well past time for climate action, and we thank the administration for advancing solutions for pollution.”
