Decades ago, many waterways were not swimmable or fishable due to industrial practices of dumping untreated toxic waste directly into waters. The Clean Water Act was passed in order to address this problem. The Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of this act dramatically improved water quality nationwide.
The Clean Air Act, enforced by the EPA, protects our cities and towns from air pollution. One only has to look at cities in China to know what U.S. cities could face without the protections of the Clear Air Act. Such protections save hundreds of thousands of lives, prevent hundreds of thousands of illnesses and save billions in health care costs.
Those of us in the Four Corners can see with our own eyes how the air quality has changed in the past three decades with the development of oil and gas and with ongoing coal-fired power. Our air needs more protections, not fewer.
The EPA protects us against exposure to systemic toxins. For example, lead poisoning used to be a major health issue. The EPA regulated lead in paint, gasoline and pipes, leading to drastic reductions in the number of people afflicted with lead poisoning.
Human activity contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. Denying these facts is dangerous. Areas vulnerable to sea level rise face devastating economic and health consequences. Areas prone to drought face devastating fires. Agriculture could be massively disrupted. The long-lasting and far-reaching economic damage of climate change will far outweigh any short-term economic costs of decreasing emissions. The EPA has started to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a needed step to safeguard human health for multiple generations.
Nobody says, “We should have more pollution, more environmental toxins, dirty water and worse air quality.” The EPA serves a noble endeavor by promoting a healthy society for current and future generations through safeguarding us against harmful environmental practices and substances.
Weakening the EPA does not serve any greater good. A strong EPA makes the world a better and safer place for us all.
Robin Richard, M.D.
Cortez
