3 Clean Air Legislation To Love

by Katy Farber

It’s the season of love, and I want to express my deep parental gratitude for legislation that provides cleaner air for our kids:

♥ The Clean Air Act
♥ The Mercury Air Toxics Rule
♥ The Cross State Pollution Laws

Providing guidance, sustenance, education, and clean water, air, and land is essential for growing strong, healthy and smart kids. With hard work, patience, time and energy, as parents, we can take care of most of this list.

But clean air, water and land?

Well, for that, we need help. Thankfully, Moms Clean Air Force, many individuals and groups have worked tirelessly for clean air for our kids and have made a dramatic difference. I love them for it.

Without further ado, my love this Valentine’s Day goes to the laws that help our kids breathe easier:

♥ The Clean Air Act: This is one of the greatest pieces of environmental legislation of all time:

The Clean Air Act has prevented hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, millions of asthma attacks, tens of millions of child respiratory illnesses. And we know that sickness causes missed school, stress on the family, and less worker productivity – and a boatload of mamma worry.
The Clean Air Act has delivered $30 in measurable health and economic benefits for every $1 invested. That’s quite a return on the investment. Even better than buying stock in Apple when they were in a garage.

According to the EPA, in 2010 alone, the reductions in fine particle and ozone pollution from the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments prevented more than:

160,000 cases of premature mortality
13 million lost workdays
1.7 million asthma attacks

These numbers are our kids, our neighbors, our families, our citizens, our country. Show your love for the Clean Air Act — don’t let polluters and their lobbyists gut it.

♥ The Mercury Air Toxics Rule: just recently passed in December by EPA chief Lisa Jackson.

This long awaited rule will save thousands of lives and prevent more than 100,000 heart and asthma attacks each year while providing important health protections to the most vulnerable, such as children and older Americans. Until this rule was released, there were no limits on the amount mercury and other toxins from power plants. Mercury is a known neurotoxin, which causes harm to developing fetuses and growing children.

The Mercury Air Toxics rule also regulates the emissions of other toxins, including acid gases, such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride; benzene, toluene and other compounds; dioxins; formaldehyde; lead, arsenic, and other metals; and radioactive materials, like radium and uranium.

This rule will prevent up to:

17,000 premature deaths
11,000 heart attacks
over 12,000 hospital and emergency room visits

Whew! That is quite a list. Thank you Mercury Air Toxics Rule.

♥ The Cross State Pollution Laws:

On July 6, 2011, the EPA finalized a rule that protects the health of millions of Americans by helping states reduce air pollution and attain clean air standards.

According to the EPA, this rule will prevent: