Thank you for publishing the article “EPA: New pollution limits proposed for U.S coal, gas power plants reflect ‘urgency’ of climate crisis” [May 11, Business].
Moving toward cleaner energy requires the Environmental Protection Agency to take bold action to limit power plant emission standards by 2024. The 2030s is too long to wait for coal emissions reductions to kick in, given the growing climate crisis we face.
Reductions should include not just the largest coal plants, but the smaller gas plants located in the backyard of vulnerable communities that are unjustly suffering from the health effects of such proximity. Even if we’re able to convert all the systems that run on fossil fuels to electricity, we’d be generating too much carbon because the electricity would still come from coal and gas plants burning fossil fuels.
The initial draft has predictably incited fossil-fuel interests to foretell doom for our power grid.
However, what the article should have mentioned was that the EPA is opening a public comment period soon that lasts 60 days.
People who care about the health of their families and communities should take five minutes from reading the news and urge the EPA to enforce strict standards on an accelerated timeline.
Naomi Davidson, Seattle
