Pleases pass this on to those you think will help with sending emails & letters
The time to act is now
We all know our air continues to degrade and we need to be the ones to comment on this EPA report as requested by the second link below. The EPA is actually going to waste more time updating it rather than advancing clear public policy with New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) which they have failed to do now in over 20 years. We all should reach out to each of our own networks and get them to comment as well. Beyond that I would suggest we all send a letter to Gina McCarthy filing a complaint that the Outreach and Information Division of EPA is wasting their time on this report and the failure of EPA to advance NSPS. (mailing address is below)
http://www.epa.gov/pm/measures/strategies-doc-8-11-09.pdf
The most galling part of this report is that it actually tells States to contact the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association for help with Programs. Really, the lobby industry that has precluded
regulations of outdoor and indoor wood boilers is the EPAs suggestion for helping States! No doubt this is to encourage a strong partnership for HPBA with ALL State Regulators. This goes beyond the pale of corruption (see page 21).
The “newest” and growing culprit of air degradation is outdoor and indoor wood boilers which remain unregulated by EPA because they have not done NSPS in over 20 years. Instead AFTER
NYS filed a petition in 2005 with other States they advanced the EPA Voluntary Program — no public comment — essentially illegal and getting in bed with the HPBA (lobbyist).
This “Program” was blown out of the water by the NYS NYSERDA report funded by EPA showing that 90% of the data for the voluntary program was missing or incorrect. We can’t say the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing though with regard to this report and NSPS because Larry Brockman (Strategies report contact) and Gil Wood (NSPS author) work together.
This 2009 report is further evidence that EPA is doing nothing and is in bed with industry. EPA staff are getting away with it because no Environmental group has sued them which seems the only thing
that gets things in the queue at EPA. Meanwhile nearly 1 in 10 people have asthma and our air quality keeps degrading.
Here is link to NYSERDA report:
Here is Larry Brockman’s email along with Leigh Herrington. Both should be emailed:
I would also suggest emailing Gil Wood since he is the point person foot dragging on NSPS
***Please be sure to send a letter to Gina McCarthy at the address below. She needs stories and she needs pressure on NSPS moving forward with standards based upon science. It is imperative that we all get through to her***
Gina McCarthy
Assistant Administrator
EPA Office of Air and Radiation
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Mail Code: 6101A
Washington, DC 20460
Hi there
As far as wood smoke is concerned, it might also be a good idea to send letters to the Center For Disease Control. CDC directs the local health departments, many of which have their own environmental health departments. In turn, local town governments can be influenced to ban (or at least regulate) wood burning.
http://www.cdc.gov/Environmental/
Tom