07 June 2006

States Sue EPA Over Lax Pollution Controls

New York, California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont joined Wisconsin in filing the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The states, led by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, want the government to require tighter pollution controls on the newest generation of power plants.
[More...]

The cities of Washington and NYC have also joined the lawsuit. What about Cincinnati and Hamilton County? The Ohio Valley has high pollution and high incidence of air quality sickness. Asthma mortality rates are higher than average as well. It certainly makes sense for SW Ohio to be interested in this issue, if not join the lawsuit.

But since this is an issue that affects our region directly, does it make sense to join the lawsuit? Would City Council support it? Would Mayor Mallory?

County Commissioners DeWine and Heimlich are in the pockets of corporate special interests, so it’s unrealistic to imagine them backing the lawsuit, but what if David Pepper gets elected? That would give Portune and Pepper the majority.

Feel free to contact council and the mayor with your thoughts. If you want to give your two cents to the EPA as well, I believe this is the person to write to (no email listed; guess the EPA still prefers snail mail):


Jeffrey Holmstead
Asst. Administrator for Air & Radiation
EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460-0001

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