*** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS *** Dear PHYLLIS, Twas two days before Christmas and all through the country Americans are celebrating our right to breathe freely Okay, I got a little carried away in the holiday cheer, but we have won a big victory for clean air today and I want to make sure you heard the news. Earlier today, a federal appeals court in Washington temporarily reinstated a plan to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants. Below is our press release celebrating this decision. And you can read today's article in the New York Times, which quotes EDF's Deputy General Counsel Vickie Patton: http://action.edf.org/ct/B11g1sY1NXCZ/ Needless to say, this is a big win for clean air in America. The EPA has estimated the rule would prevent 17,000 deaths annually by 2015. As we celebrate the holidays this week, I hope today's news gives us even more for which to be thankful. Thank you for your support. Together, we are making great progress to human protect lives and defend the planet. Happy holidays, Sam Parry Director, Online Membership and Activism https://donate.edf.org/01/jax09aa001/nx71g1sYqcs81? Our Press Statement: Court Reinstates Clean Air Interstate Rule In a major decision benefiting clean air and public health, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today issued an order that leaves the Clean Air Interstate Rule in effect while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency develops a new clean air program for power plants. "Today's court decision is a welcome gift for the millions of American's that face serious health threats from power plant pollution. Power plants across the East will reduce millions of tons of smog and soot pollution today while America's new leadership fixes the mistakes made by the Bush Administration," said Vickie Patton, deputy general counsel at Environmental Defense Fund. Granting aspects of rehearing requests from the Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Defense Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council, the court found that the rule is an "integral action" and stated: "Here, we are convinced that, notwithstanding the relative flaws of CAIR, allowing CAIR to remain in effect until it is replaced by a rule consistent with our opinion would at least temporarily preserve the environmental values covered by CAIR." Judge Judith Rogers wrote a separate concurrence stating that CAIR is "so intertwined" with the nation's air quality management regulatory framework that "its vacatur would sacrifice clean benefits to public health and the environment while EPA fixes the rule." The timing of this decision is critical. January 1, 2009 is the first important compliance deadline under EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule -- requiring substantial reductions in year-round emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) to protect human health from this damaging pollutant. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Defense Fund, and numerous states asked the court to reconsider its July 11th opinion to vacate this clean air program. The program was designed to reduce millions of tons of smog- and particulate-forming pollution from coal-fired power plants in 28 eastern states. EPA estimated the rule would prevent 17,000 deaths annually by 2015. The pollution cuts required by the Clean Air Interstate Rule were to be implemented in two phases beginning on January 1, 2009 for NOx and 2010 for sulfur dioxide (SO2), and a second phase in 2015 for both contaminants. EPA estimated that NOx would be reduced 2 million tons annually under full program implementation, about 60% over today's levels. The program was designed to cut SO2 emissions by 5.4 million tons in 2015. ### -------------------------------------------------- You can update your email address, set your message frequency, and unsubscribe from messages by adjusting your subscription options. http://action.edf.org/EDF_Action_Network/smp.tcl?nkey=w6k7297metttn& ****************************** This email is Powered by Convio, Inc. http://www.convio.com ****************************** ____________________________________________________________ Get educated. Click here for Adult Education programs. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/PnY6rw2kA4bYLeoPGCpCpwQybG9QCt7QjjgmNIcnyrxzh1v77fhZ3/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp