Washington, D.C. — In response to EPA’s announcement regarding new carbon pollution standards for coal fired and new natural gas power plants, Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), Steam Electric Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELG’s), and Coal Combustion Residuals (coal ash), the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statement from President of League of Conservation Voters, Gene Karpinski:

“Continuing what has already been a historic Earth Month, today is another great day for clean air, clean water, environmental justice, and public health. The Biden administration’s strong new safeguards will dramatically cut carbon pollution, as well as the arsenic, soot, mercury, and other toxic pollution from power plants that ends up in our air, water, and land. This pollution threatens our health and safety, particularly for communities of color and communities of low wealth who are disproportionately located near power plants. These new rules from EPA will provide billions of dollars in public health benefits, especially critical in fenceline communities that have been fighting for these protections for decades.

“With these air, water, and waste standards, the administration is holding Big Polluters accountable for their actions that harm our communities and climate. We look forward to working with the EPA in the months ahead to comprehensively address carbon and other health-harming pollution from existing gas plants in a manner that takes into account the cumulative impacts of polluting facilities. Today’s standards are a critical step forward and LCV applauds the Biden-Harris administration for working to protect all communities.”

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These announcements build on major progress announced by the Biden-Harris administration in advance of and during Earth Week to protect clean air and water (including the launch of the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge), advance offshore wind and other clean energy and clean energy jobs through the official launch of the American Climate Corps website, hold Big Polluters accountable, protect public lands, ensure historic protections for the Arctic, and more.