Why EPA’s Plan to Address Cross-State Air Pollution is Good News for Tennessee

Living Under the Cloud of Air Pollution

Introduction

As a seventh-generation Tennessean, I am proud to call the Appalachian Mountain region home. My roots are in the town of Kingsport, but toxic air pollution from power plants keeps me from living in my hometown. Today, I call Maryville, Tennessee home, but I still haven’t escaped all the impacts of harmful pollution. Much like me, my daughter struggles with asthma, and we’ve both spent sleepless nights struggling to breathe.

The Reality of Air Pollution

This is the reality of living under the cloud of air pollution. As an organizer and community advocate, I’m used to pushing polluters in Tennessee to clean up their act, but some of the toxic air my family and I breathe doesn’t even come from sources in the state–it’s coming from other states, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles before reaching my community.

The Good Neighbor Plan

That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency created the Good Neighbor Plan, which protects the health of communities like mine by helping states reduce harmful air pollution through the deployment of readily available technologies that are already in use at many coal plants across the country. By reducing dangerous pollution emitted by power plants, the plan protects residents in dozens of states who are unknowingly subjected to toxic emissions from plants often hundreds of miles away.

Resistance and Expansion

For many coal plant operators, complying with this plan is as simple as turning on an air pollution control already installed on a unit, but some states and industry groups are fighting these measures to improve air quality tooth and nail. For them, saving a dollar seems to be more important than saving a child from experiencing asthma, or even saving a life.

That’s why I was relieved to see EPA isn’t backing down from the Good Neighbor Plan, but instead recently proposed to expand it to include my home state of Tennessee as well as Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico.

Testimony at EPA’s Public Hearing

Last week, I testified at EPA’s public hearing on the proposed expansion of the Good Neighbor Plan to help demonstrate why including my state is so important to ensuring my family and I have safe air to breathe. At the hearing, I was moved by several others who shared similar stories from communities across the country, a moving testament to how air pollution impacts us all.

My Testimony

I speak today as someone who has been personally and severely affected by uncontrolled pollution. I grew up next to Eastman Chemical Company, which is currently recognized as the chief emitting source for Tennessee’s only county that is in non-attainment for air quality standards.

How has this pollution affected me?

I had chronic asthma as a child and underwent many trips to the hospital for breathing treatments. Many of my neighborhood playmates also suffered the same illness.

What I came to learn later is that my inability to breathe as a child was caused by the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution released into the air from uncontrolled facilities — much of which is due to the burning of coal.

I am currently not able to live in my hometown because of the air quality problems.

EPA rules like the Good Neighbor plan for ozone provide opportunities for states to address the pollution from uncontrolled facilities that affects millions of people like me.

I appreciate that EPA has decided to include Tennessee. Any reduction of pollution is good for the people living here and those from other states nearby. This is an equity issue as well. It’s not fair that power plants in my state have been avoiding reducing pollution because the costs of that pollution are borne by people in downwind states.

Updating the rules to cut down cross state air pollution will have a dramatic impact on reducing smog, resulting in saved lives and avoided adverse health impacts, especially in communities already suffering from poor health outcomes.

Today is a special day not only because of this hearing to protect lives but because it’s my daughter’s 12th birthday. I am here speaking for her today as well. She was diagnosed with asthma and suffers when she gets sick and most recently when the smoke from wildfires in Canada drifted down. We endured sleepless nights trying to make her comfortable and worrying she wouldn’t be able to breathe. This is how I know how important this rule is. We need the EPA to do the right thing and finalize this rule as quickly as possible. It will help people like me living near polluting facilities, and the millions more that live downwind.

Thank you again for the opportunity to comment in support of the EPA’s Good Neighbor plan.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5) in cities (population-weighted).

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

Analysis

The article addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their corresponding targets:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The article highlights the issue of toxic air pollution and its impact on the health of individuals, particularly those with asthma. This aligns with SDG 3, which aims to ensure good health and well-being for all. Target 3.9 specifically focuses on reducing deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air pollution, which is relevant to the article’s content. The indicator 3.9.1, which measures the mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution, can be used to track progress towards this target.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The article discusses the impact of air pollution on communities and the importance of addressing air quality in cities. This relates to SDG 11, which aims to create sustainable cities and communities. Target 11.6 focuses on reducing the adverse environmental impact of cities, including air quality. The indicator 11.6.2, which measures the annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities, is relevant to tracking progress towards this target.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The article mentions the Environmental Protection Agency’s Good Neighbor Plan, which aims to reduce harmful air pollution emitted by power plants. This aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Target 13.2 emphasizes the integration of climate change measures into national policies and planning, which is relevant to the article’s content. The indicator 13.2.1, which measures the number of countries that have integrated mitigation and adaptation measures into their policies, strategies, and planning, can be used to measure progress towards this target.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: sierraclub.org

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