Colorado clean air groups deliver 8 millionth comment to clean up power plants

Environment Colorado

Washington, DC – As the public comment period on the Clean Power Plan closes today, Colorado groups supporting climate action joined colleagues from around the country to deliver a symbolic “8 millionth” comment supporting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards to reduce carbon pollution from power plants.  

“Across the state, we’ve seen tremendous support for cleaning up power plants and acting on climate,” said Anna McDevitt, Campaign Organizer with Environment Colorado. “This symbolic 8 millionth comment shows that Coloradans want clean air and a healthier future for our kids.”

Since early 2012, Colorado groups, and many others, have collected over 200,000 public comments from among the majority of Coloradans and other Americans who support reducing carbon pollution from power plants. Supporters of the first-ever carbon limits on power plants include a range of constituencies, from small businesses and local elected officials to faith and public health organizations.

The joint public comment, supported by Environment Colorado and other environmental groups in the state is as follows:

“Since the EPA first began collecting them in 2012, clean air supporters have collected and submitted more than 8 million public comments nationally and in 2014 alone over 200,000 have been collected from Coloradans who support EPA standards to limit dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. While federal limits exist for toxic air pollutants like mercury, arsenic and soot, there are currently no limits on the carbon pollution power plants dump into our air.  

This symbolic 8 millionth comment reflects the broad support that exists in Colorado for solutions that reduce the unlimited carbon pollution from power plants that fuels climate change and puts our health, our economy and our communities at risk. Recent state polling also shows Colorado voters want climate action by almost a 2 to 1 margin.  This demonstration of support for U.S. leadership on climate change is unprecedented and exceeds, by far, the anti-science, anti-action efforts of the polluters and their allies.

Coloradans do not have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. We can have both. Over the last four decades, clean air standards have reduced air pollution by 70% while GDP has tripled.  The Clean Power Plan will significantly cut carbon pollution from power plants, while preventing 150,000 asthma attacks and saving $95 billion per year by 2030.

We applaud the EPA and the Administration for its unprecedented public outreach and efforts to craft a carbon pollution standard that every Coloradan can support.”