The president's air pollution legislation currently pending in Congress is a disaster for eastern and southeastern Ohio. It ensures that the old, dirty power plants in the Ohio River Valley, like the Gavin, Sammis and Cardinal plants, continue to trigger asthma attacks, endanger public health and pollute the environment.

On *Friday, Nov. 7*, you can do something to stop it. You can meet directly with Congressman Strickland and tell him how you feel about it.


A face to face meeting is the single most effective way to make sure your voice is heard. We are organizing a meeting with U.S. Representative Ted Strickland of the sixth congressional district on Friday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. in Athens for citizens from all over eastern and southeastern Ohio to speak up against air pollution and the administration's misnamed "Clear Skies" plan.

You can sign up now to participate by sending an e-mail to ErinB@ohiopirg.org

Please include the following information:

Name:
Phone number:
E-mail address:  
Address:
Occupation:

Have you met with Rep. Strickland before or do you know Representative Strickland?

Why you are interested in this issue:

Forward this [mesage] to your friends and family as well and urge them to sign up to participate.

I hope that you can come speak with Representative Strickland.

BACKGROUND

The administration's "Clear Skies" plan would:

* Replace strong local air pollution controls with a national cap and trade program, allowing power plants to buy and sell pollution credits at the expense of the health of communities living near the old, extremely dirty facilities.

* Allow 21 more tons of mercury into the environment than existing law.

* Allow 68% more soot-forming NOx pollution than current law.

* Allow 125% more acid-rain causing SO2 pollution than current law.

* A 2001 study by a consulting firm used by the EPA estimated that over 1,900 lives are shortened and over 37,000 asthma attacks are triggered every year in Ohio by power plant pollution.

Here is a copy of the beginning of an article from today's Columbus Dispatch, quoting Ohio PIRG's Rose Garr:

Power plants in Ohio emit most pollution From Columbus Dispatch 10/29/03, page C1, by Geoff Dutton

Ohio's coal-fired power plants belched more pollution into the air last year than plants in any other state, continuing a legacy that environmentalists expect only to worsen under recently relaxed federal regulations.

Four Ohio plants are among the nation's dirtiest for smog- and soot-forming pollution, according to an analysis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions readings taken in 2002.

"Ohio is the worst state in the nation for power plant pollution -- pollution that harms human health," said Rose Garr of the Ohio chapter of the Public Interest Research Group.

Sincerely,

Erin Bowser
Ohio PIRG State Director