U.S.EPA PUBLIC HEARING ON REGULATIONS FOR EXISTING COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

PITTSBURGH, PA AUGUST 1, 2014

MY NAME IS SISTER DONNA ZWIGART. I AM SISTER OF THE SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF THE NEUMANN COMMUNITIES WHOSE 452 MEMBERS MINISTER MAINLY IN THE US. WE ALSO HAVE MISSIONS IN AFRICIA AND PERU. OUR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGIONAL HOUSE IS IN MILLVALE, A BOROUGH ABOUT THREE MILES FROM DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH. I WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR ELICITING COMMENTS FROM THE CITIZENS ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR EXISITING COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. AS YOU MAY KNOW, ST. FRANCIS WAS DECLARED THE PATRON OF ECOLOGY BY THE UNITED NATIONS ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO. SO I FEEL QUALIFIED , AS A FRANCISCAN, TO MAKE MY TESTIMONY HERE TODAY. ST. FRANCIS WAS NOT ONLY ABOUT BIRD BATHS AND GARDENS HIS INCITES WERE ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THIS KINDOM OF EARTH. WE ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS KEEPERS AS PART OF THE FAMILY OF ALL OF CREATION. WE ARE KIN! SO WHATEVER EFFECTS OR HARMS OUR KIN IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO US. IF THE AIR WE BREATHE IS POLLUTED THEN ALL OF THE EARTH'S FAMILY IS HAMPERED AND CANNOT BE HEALTHY. WE HAVE SEEN EVIDENCE OF THIS IN OUR PITTSBURGH REGION. WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST CASES OF LUNG CANCER, COPD AND ASMATHA, ESPECIALLY IN OUR CHILDREN. OUR POLLUTION LEVEL IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE US. WE FRANCISCANS AFFIRM AND ENDORSE THE PROPOSED EPA'S CLEAN AIR REGULATIONS FOR EXISTING COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS AS THIS ACTION WILL HELP TO DRIVE DOWN THE CARBON EMISSIONS. IF WE TAKE NOTE WHERE MANY OF THE COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS RESIDE IT IS IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. POOR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES SUFFER THE WORST OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN EPIC FLOODING, PROLONGED DROUGHTS AND HEAT WAVES . OUR ECONOMY ALSO IS EFFECTED WITH LOSS OF JOBS AND INCREASED MEDICAL COSTS AND DESTRUCTION OF OUR PLANET. OUR KIN ARE SUFFERING. THEY NEED TO MIGRATE TO SAFER PLACES, BUT CAN FIND NONE. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT VICTIMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE PROVIDE FOR AN ESCULATION OF HUMAN TRAFFING. THESE ARE OUR KIN! I WOULD ASK THE EPA TO INCLUDE IN THE LEGISLATION WAYS TO HELP OUR KIN WHO WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS BY PROVIDING EDUCATION FOR NEW TECHNOLOGICAL EMPLOYMENT FOR THEM. GIVE OUR BRIGHT MINDS THE INCENTIVES TO DISCOVER NEW WAYS TO SOLVE OUR ENERGY PROBLEMS. FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE AT RISK IN A CLIMATE ALTERED PLANET. DO WE CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR OFFSPRING? BLRYING OUR HEADS IN THE SAND OF DENIAL OF EFFECTSOF CLIMATE CHANGE FOR FINANCIAL GAIN WILL NOT BE A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR FUTURE

GENERATIONS. IT IS A POOR ROI. MANY GROUPS HAVE VOICED THEIR THOUGHTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE HARMFUL ALTERATIONS TO OUR PLANET CAUSED BY CARBON EMMISIONS. AMOUNG OUR KIN ARE THE US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, THE INTERFAITH COMMUNITY HERE OUR CITY, FRANCISCAN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, POPE FRANCIS AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTALISTS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE AND I LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE THAT POPE FRANCIS REMINDED THE WORLD IN MAY, 2014: "'CREATION IS A GIFT, IT IS A WONDERFUL GIFT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US, SO THAT WE CARE FOR IT AND USE IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL, ALWAYS WITH GREAT RESPECT AND GRATITUDE." MAY GOD GIVE YOU PEACE