Re: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 (for the Clean Power Plan for Existing Sources) 

From: Deirdre Smith 

2652 Jefferson Park Circle 

Charlottesville, VA 22903 

Date: July 29, 2014 

My name is Dede Smith and I am here from Charlottesville, Virginia where I am an elected 

member of City Council and vice mayor. I've come to add my voice to the chorus of concerned 

citizens and elected officials who support new limits on carbon pollution. 

As a long-time resident of Charlottesville, home to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, I find it 

fitting that in his Declaration of Independence Jefferson proclaims "Life, liberty and the pursuit 

of happiness" as three inalienable rights. I say that because, just last week, Charlottesville was 

named America's Happiest City. TJ would be proud. We have also been named the best college 

town, one of the healthiest small cities, best town for food and wine lovers, best place to retire.. 

the list goes on and on. 

Which is why I am here today to support stricter regulations on existing power plants. 

You see the reason Charlottesville is so happy is that we have a very high quality of life, and a 

big part of that is a commitment to a quality environment. 

Charlottesville City government has, in the last 5 years, reduced our own carbon footprint by 

30%, even in the face of a rising population and we're not done yet. Just weeks ago, we launched 

an initiative called Solarize Charlottesville, in which, through bulk purchasing, we're able to 

offer solar installations to residential homes at half the cost. In our own facilities, every new 

building is LEED certified and highly energy efficient. In addition, we offer tax credits and 

exemptions for residential and commercial energy efficiency; we established a revolving loan 

program for commercial solar retrofits, as well as grants for new innovative projects such as a 

publicly available fast-charge stations for plug-in cars, all toward our goal of further reducing 

our local carbon footprint. 

We do this because we firmly believe that our quality of life, which makes us so happy, is 

intricately linked to our air quality. 

But in truth, for city government it is not just about happiness, it's economic as well. Like many 

cities, tourism is a major economic engine in Charlottesville, and much of our tourism depends 

on air quality, because a lot of our tourist attractions are outdoors. If you haven't yet visited any 

of the 30 wineries around Charlottesville, you should. You don't even have to like wine, 

because the views are so spectacular..... views that are dependent on clean, clear air. And if you 

question whether air quality matters for viewscapes, go up to Shenandoah National Park on a 

smoggy day, when the dirly emissions from the Midwest power plants limit the viewscape to a 

few miles, when in fact, you should be able to see 100 miles. 
But tourism isn't the only economic reason Charlottesville needs clean air. You see, we are home 

to the University of Virginia, the Commonwealth's flagship university with a nationally 

recognized medical center, one of the few tertiary hospitals in the state. UVA Hospital treats 

serious medical conditions including the all too common forms of lung disease, like emphysema 

and lung cancer and a shocking levels of chronic, debilitating asthma - all life threatening for 

many UVA Hospital patients and all impacted by air quality. 

That's why Charlottesville is dedicated to doing our part to improve air quality by reducing our 

own carbon footprint. But of course we have no control over the coal burning power plants 

upwind from us. But you do, and that's why we appeal to you to put in place a strong Clean 

Power plan, so we can all breathe a little easier. 

I've attached to this statement two resolutions that Charlottesville City Council unanimously 

approved urging the EPA to enforce and strengthen the Clean Air Act.