This evening, stepping outside and smelling the crystal Durango air with its sweet scent of snow, I was so grateful to be living in this beautiful valley. But I was also saddened ... somewhat horrified really, recalling that since taking office, Donald Trump has assaulted clean, healthy air and precious environments by dismantling limits on pollution, resulting in free passes to pollute to hundreds of industrial facilities.
Nearly 70 coal-fired plants, including some of the nation’s largest, have new, two-year presidential exemptions from pollution standards. Whole industry groups are receiving exemptions – groups that represent some of the largest chemical polluters.
These are big companies that often spew toxic ethylene oxide and/or chloroprene (linked to increased cancer) and/or brain-damaging chemicals like mercury, carcinogenic arsenic and benzene as well as other chemicals.
The EPA now doesn’t inform the public about which companies have applied or received exemptions. Why? Because they don’t want us to know which Trump benefactors are allowed to pollute and endanger people.
This is neither fair to folks or our one-of-a-kind environment. And, our earth is the only one of its kind in our whole known universe. It needs our awareness and protection.
Write your Congressional representatives and urge them to oppose these rollbacks. Let them know that if they don’t then you will not support them in their next election. Also, please step outside and smell our sensational air.
Connie S. Durand
Durango
