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WV'S AIR QUALITY AMONG MOST 'TOXIC' IN NATION |
| (07/25/2011) |
| By Bob Weaver West Virginia has made another national list. The National Resources Defense Council says West Virginia is the 8th worst toxic state in the country because of its air quality. Its not the first time for the state to rank high for air pollution, a state that wants to believe it has clean mountain air. Poor air quality contributes to poor respiratory and cardiovascular health. The study primarily pinpoints coal-fueled power plants as the main cause. The study says Ohio and Pennsylvania has the worst air quality. Among the key findings: Nearly half of all the toxic air pollution reported from industrial sources in the United States comes from coal and oil-fired power plants. Power plants are the single largest industrial source of toxic air pollution in 28 states and the District of Columbia. "Power plants are the biggest industrial toxic air polluters in our country, putting children and families at risk by dumping deadly and dangerous poisons into the air we breathe," said Dan Lashof, Climate Center Director at NRDC. While the Republican controlled House is attempting to reduce standards to allow for more coal production, Lashof said, "Tougher standards are long overdue. Members of Congress who consider blocking toxic pollution safeguards should understand that this literally will cost American children and families their health and lives." Nearly all of WV's elected representatives in Washington and in Charleston favor reducing environmental standards. They are seeking to block EPA's efforts to update public health protections. Meanwhile, the chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton (R-MI) has vowed to block EPA's clean air safeguards. One of the nation's biggest polluters, American Electric Power (AEP) based in Columbus, Ohio has drafted legislation to block the EPA and has argued against EPA's current efforts. The pollutants have caused mercury levels to rise in most of West Virginia's rivers and streams that the government has issued warnings about eating fish.
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