by Brooke Famous
Air pollution is one of the biggest causes of environmental injustices throughout this county. This environmental injustice causes problems because of the health-related issues from factories, industries, agricultural activities, fossil-fueled and coal-fired power plants, and vehicle exhaust within low-income minority communities.
At PennEnvironment, a state-wide nonprofit organization, they work to “defend our environment that requires independent research, a tough-minded advocacy and spirited grassroots action” (PennEnvironment). They work to build awareness, educate the public and advocate for environmental issues at hand. PennEnvironment constantly and consistently works to push policies to help protect our air, as well as many other environmental issues.
Background
People of different minorities are between 68 percent to 165 percent are living in low-income communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution (Huffington Post). These citizens are breathing in the nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a cause for respiratory and cardiovascular issues; they are predisposed to asthma and other cardiovascular and respiratory issues and; they cannot get the necessary funds or means to move to a different location.
“It first starts with the Clean Air Act. So under the Clean Air Act,” Adam Garber, Deputy Director of PennEnvironment, stated, “companies are required to reduce power plant pollution, factory pollution and others to protect people’s health.”
The NAACP ranked 378 coal-fired power-plants on the basis of toxic emissions and demographic factors and found that the income level of people living near pollution facilities are more than $3,000 below the national average. Coal-fired power plants disproportionately harm African-Americans and Latino communities (Huffington Post).
Causes
People are living in undesirable communities where they are more exposed to factories, industries, agricultural activities, fossil-fueled and coal-fired power plants, and vehicle exhaust from high-traffic roadways. That being said, when it comes to coal-fired power plants, “The dirtier the coal, the higher proportion of minorities living by it” (Philly Tribe).
Changes at the Environmental Protection Agency could affect PennEnvironment in numerous ways. Changes in the EPA could affect the Clean Air Act, how much emissions are being let out from factories and power plants, as well as allowing more pollution out of cars. That being said, PennEnvironment will have to work harder to make sure that these possible changes do not harm or go against what they have been working so hard to avoid.
Solutions
It first starts with the Clean Air Act. So under the Clean Air Act, companies are “required to reduce power plant pollution, factory pollution and others to protect people’s health.”
At PennEnvironment, they follow a set of standards to make sure that the Clean Air Acts are being followed, protected and implemented appropriately.
“If we can pass policies that will help follow the best known public health standards for reducing air pollution, and then enforce those policies, everyone will breathe easier,” Garber stated, “whether you’re in a low-income community or not.”
Over the last decade, PennEnvironment has helped implement a set of standards that help reduce first mercury and air toxin pollution. That being said, these standards will help cut this mercury and air toxin standard will cut mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent.
“Our campaign is called the Toxic Ten,” David Masur, Executive Director of PennEnvironment, stated, “and what we’re doing is educating the public, garnering media attention and mobilizing everyday citizens to stand up to really dirty facilities that put their health at risk.”
Solutions to Unite 