American Lung Association to Intervene in Litigation to Support Clean Power Plan, Protect Health

Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association, issued the following statement on the Lung Association’s response to legal challenges to the Clean Power Plan, filed today:

“The American Lung Association has begun steps to formally intervene to legally defend the Clean Power Plan from legal attempts to block or delay it. Earlier today, multiple challengers filed lawsuits to block the Plan. They seek to thwart the much-needed cleanup of carbon pollution from the power sector - the largest contributor to climate change in the nation.

“Carbon pollution that’s driving climate change poses a current and growing threat to lung health and public safety. Warmer temperatures degrade air quality, as we’ve seen this year with increased wildfires and drought creating more particle pollution. Add to that more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as heat waves and floods, increased risk of ground-level ozone, and the spread of some dangerous diseases, and you see why the United States needs to combat climate change.

“The Clean Power Plan is a tremendous step forward in the United States’ fight against carbon pollution. It will also bring immediate health benefits to the American people. EPA estimated that the Clean Power Plan will prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths and 90,000 asthma attacks in 2030, as well as prevent 300,000 missed days of work and school.

“The evidence is clear—climate change and carbon pollution threaten the health of millions of Americans. The American Lung Association will defend the Clean Power Plan and continue to urge Governors to maximize the public health benefits of the Clean Power Plan as they develop their implementation plans.”