FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Dahi, National Parks Conservation Association, (520) 603-6430, aIcnpcc)fg Rob Smith, Sierra Club, (602) 432-2995, rob.smith@sierraclub.org Arizonans supportEPA efforts
toclean air, protecthealth and safeguard national parks HOLBROOK—Arizona residents, tribal members, environmentalists

and physicians will tell Environmental Protection Agency officials

at hearings today and tomorrow that enforcing overdue pollution-control standards

toreduce dangerous coal plant pollution

in Arizona will protect residents’ health and clean the skies overthe state’s invaluable national parks. By requiring science-based pollution-control technologies

atthree of Arizona’s existing coal-burning power plants, those plants will be brought into alignment with the industry standard. More than 200 coal plants acrossthe country, including the Springerville Generating Station
in Springerville, already operate under these clean-air standards. Once in place, they will protect communities that have long suffered from the impact of coal plant pollution
onthe region. “Every year,moreand moreof ourchildren and elderly who live nexttothe Peabody Coal Mine and the Navajo Generating Station suffer from asthma and health problems that maybe alleviated

if wetake strong measures

to reduce pollution from dirty, old coal plants,” said Percy Deal, Hardrock Chapter president
onthe Navajo reservation. “We have

a simple, common-sense request that every family
in America would make: Please EPA, require the best possible air protections
for ourcommunities.” As currently outlined, the EPA pJjn aims to significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by requiring installation

of modem pollution controls known
asselective catalytic reduction

atthree coal-fired electric plants—including the Cholla coal plant near Holbrook, which
is just south of the Navajo reservation. The plan also seeks to limit dangerous pollution

at the Coronado Generating Station nearSt. Johns and the Apache Generating Station nearWilcox.

A pollution reduction plan for the Navajo Generating Station maybe released later this year. The three plants release thousands

of tons of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide into the air each year.These pollutants
areassociated with aggravating respiratory disease, asthma attacks, decreased lung function and heart disease, and canlead to premature death, according

tothe IEfA.
It is estimated that pollution from the three coal plants causes $314 million
in health expenses every year, according

todata from the anAir Task Fpc.“Any step we can take to reduce pollution from coal plants will have an immediate and beneficial impact
to the health of Arizona families,” said Dr. Barbara Warren, MD, MPH, with Physicians
for Social Responsibility. “What the EPA is proposing should help protect vulnerable children from asthma attacks, and help adults who suffer chronic lung disease and heart disease. Our health

is far too important

to have second-rate pollution controls

at these antiquated, toxic coal plants.” The EPA proposal will also help clear skies over critical landmarks

in the American Southwest, such as the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest national parks. National parks impacted
by the Cholla, Coronado and Apache coal plants ppiiy spport more than 18,000 local jobs in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Visitors and staff at those parks contribute about $721 million
in local economic activity, according

to a recent analysis. The EPA’s current efforts
to improve air quality are 35 years in the making, the result of revisions

to the 1977 Clean Air Act. Federal courts only recently required the EPA to finally implement
the decades-old legislation. “For decades, the American people have been waiting for the EPA to finally act on a decades-old Congressional directive

to protect air over our most cherished national parks,” said Kevin Dali, Arizona program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “We’ve waited long enough. Now
is the time for coal plants owners
to do the right thing and protect Arizona’s prized national landmarks and our most vulnerable residents.” EPA Hearings 6 p.m., today, August 14,2012: Holbrook High School, George Gardner Performing Arts Center, 455 N. 8th Ave. Holbrook AZ 86025 6 p.m., Wednesday, August 15,2012: Cochise College, Benson, Center, Rooms 113 and 115, 1025 South, State Route 90, Benson, AZ 85602—6501.• Clearing Our Skies Why Arizona needs new safeguards toreduce coal plant pollution This month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced implementation

of long-awaited protections that will lead three of Arizona’s dirtiest coal plants
to limit dangerous emissions that pollute skies overArizona’s pristine national parks, protecting public health and saving Arizonans millions
of dollars
in health costs These standards are35 yearsin the making, resulting from 1977 revisions
of the Clean Air Act, which aimed
at reducing pollution overAmerica’s most pristine national landmarks.

In recent years,the federal government
has missed numerouscourt-ordered deadlines

to implement
the 1977 Congressional directive

to protect ournational parks, which contribute billions
in economic activity for local communities acrossthe country. As outlined, the new safeguards will require operators
of the Apache, Cholla, and Coronado coal plants to install modern pollution reduction equipment

to limit nitrogen oxide emissions
by nearly 90 percent. Nitrogen oxide
is a key ingredient

of smog,oneof America’s most dangerous forms of pollution. That equipment, known
asselective catalytic reduction,

is nowin wide useat over200 coal-fired powerunits acrossthe country, including Arizona’s Springerville Generating Station. Why now? These upgrades are way past due—Arizona

‘s two current senators voted to implement
the new protections decades ago. •Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz.. long ago recognized
the need to protect Arizona’s national parks and human health from pollution released by coal plants. Both of them voted in favor of 1990 legislation that set
atimeline for the Environmental Protection Agency

to finally implement
the 1977 Clean Air Act revisions. The three coal plants release massive amounts
of pollution every year. • Together, the three coal plants spew 23,000 tons of sulfur pollution and 26,000 tons of nitrogen oxide pollution every year.• The Cholla Generating Station, Apache and Coronado, which

is listed as an EPA“highpriority violator”
of the Clean Air Act, are the nation’s worst offenders for obscuring skies near national parks with coal plant pollution. • Health impacts from mercury pollution, lead pollution and smog are well documented. Here
is what these three coal plants pump into Arizona skies over

a decade: Pollution Selected air stack toxic releases from 2001 to 2010 (in pounds)

All toxic air from

emissions Arizona

Hydrochloric

(2001-2010) Coal Plants Mercury Chromium Lead Nickel Acid

Total Apache Generating
1,583
440

77

17 1,020,991 1,609,673 Station Cholla Generating 2,534 3,026 1,550
982 1,896,457 4,603,873 Station Coronado Generating 4,200 2,557 1,550
982 1,896,457 3,829,029 Station Totals 8,317 6,023 3,177 1,981 4,813,905 10,042,575 . Every year, pollution from the Apache, Coronado, and Cholla coal plants cause nearly 41 deaths, 63 heart attacks, 747 asthma attacks, 30 hospital admissions,

38 emergency room visits, and 26 cases of chronic bronchitis, according

to data from the Clean Air Task Force. All told, the three coal plants cost Arizonans almost $314 million dollars
in health expenses every year. National parks most afJcted by the new safeguards are responsible for thousands
of jobs. • The national parks affected by these coal plants’ pollution annually support more than 18,000 local jobs in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, and see more than

8 million recreational visits each year. Park visitors and staff contribute approximately $721 million
to local economies

on an annual basis. Support clean air in Arizona Join other Arizonans

to demand clean air in our state at a hearing over the new pollution plan: 6 p.m Tuesday August

14 th at the Holbrook High School, George Gardner Performing Arts Center, 455 N. 8th Ave. Holbrook AZ 86025Statement

of Andy Bessler for the Sierra Club On EPA Air Quality Implementation Plans for Arizona: Proposed rule for Apache, Cholla and Coronado coal plants Holbrook,
AZ August 14, 2012 My name

is Andy Bessler,

I amthe Southwest Organizing Representative forthe Sierra Club in Flagstaff, AZ. Sierra Club will be joining other conservation groups
in submitting written comments

to EPA regarding our support for EPA’s action toclean upthese dirty coal plants discussed tonight but offer these comments

onbehalf of ourmembers acrossArizona who support moving beyond coal to aclean energyfuture. It’s against the law to pollute national parks and wilderness areas. It has been since 1977. The federal Clean Air Act of 1977 saysthat “Congress hereby declares

asanational goal the prevention

of any future, and the remedying

of any existing, impairment

of visibility

in mandatory Class

I Federal areaswhich impairment results from man-made
air pollution.” That’s pretty clear. But the air around these areas
is not.These are places weall know—Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro national parks; the Superstition Wilderness and Chiricahua National Monument. There are
adozen such places
in Arizona, and another five in neighboring New Mexico and Colorado which arewithin the rangeof air pollution from these coal-burning power plants being discussed tonight.

In fact, each of these plants—Cholla, Coronado and Apache—is as close as40 miles toat least onenational park ormonument. Some might tryto saythat burning almost

9 million tons of coal annually

atthese three plants
in the middle of all of these special places would have nonoticeable impact. But
aview acrossthe backcountry

of ourstatetoooften shows

a dirty haze in the air that should not naturally
be there. And the air pollution youcanseeis also the stuff webreathe
in. These three plants pumpout

a million pounds
of toxics every year. They dump 23,000 tonsof sulfur dioxide and 26,000 tonsof nitrogen oxide pollution annually into Arizona’s skies. That mix leads tomore breathing problems, hospital and doctor visits, heart attacks and even deaths,. According

tothe Clean Air Task Force, these

3 plants collectively cause nearly 41 deaths,
63 heart attacks, 747 asthma attacks,
30 hospital admissions,

38 emergencyroomvisits and 26 casesof chronic bronchitis costing Arizonans almost $314 million dollars

in health expenses every year. EPA’s action will help improve the health of all in Arizona. According

toDr. Barbara Warren, MD, MPH, with Physicians for Social Responsibility: “Any stepwecantake toreduce pollution from coal plants will have animmediate and beneficial impact tothe health of Arizona families. What the EPAis proposing should help protect vulnerable children from asthma attacks, and help adults who suffer chronic lung disease and heart disease. Our health

is far too important

to have second-rate pollution controls

at these antiquated, toxic coal plants.” The Clean AirAct requires that the “best available” pollution control technology

be installed, not the cheaper second-rate stuff that won’t do the job nearly
as well.

It calls for the “best”. This pollution cleanup has been required
by the Clean AirActfor

35 years,

is needed
to protect human health and the environment,

is affordable and is the right thing to do. Thanks
to the EPA for insisting
on cleaning
up the air for all Arizonans when our own state Department

of Environmental Quality won’t do it.