800,000+ Demands for Clean Air

In August, Sierra Club members and our allies from groups such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and Environment Illinois gathered outside the EPA office in Chicago to deliver the final 1,000 public comment cards in support of the EPA’s proposed mercury and air toxics rule.

The gathering, where local activists held signs to support clean air, also drew attention to the importance of regulating toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants—including mercury, lead, and arsenic—to reduce respiratory illnesses, birth defects, and developmental problems.

This last batch of public comments brings the total number to more than 800,000 in support of the rule! As a bonus to generating so many comments, the Associated Press covered our gathering and helped spread the word about the importance of moving beyond coal.