EPAPublic Hearing on Carbon Pollution Standards Washington, DC

May241\ 2012

TESTIMONY ofJOE COOK 1147 Surrey Crescent, Norfolk, VA 23508 .Jcook1147@gmail.com pg I of2

My name is Joe Cook, and I live at 1147 Surrey Crescent, Norfolk, VA 23508. I cometoday to speakout strongly in favor ofthe EPA's long overdue New Source Performance Standards orcarbon pollution limits for new power plants.I live in a city already experiencing the effects ofcarbon pollution, the main contributorto climate disruption with consequent sea level rise and directly linked
to life-threatening air pollution. Forthe first time overthe last 75 years ofits existence, my house in the Larchmont neighborhood was surrounded by water and nearly flooded twice by storm surges over the last four years. As one standing on the front lines ofclimate change, I have a personal interest in seeing this rule put in place and vigorously enforced to help save my home. Two old dirty coal plants already operate in our area and constantly spew carbon and a toxic mix of70hazardous substances into the air, water and soil, any

one ofwhich could lead to severe illness orpremature death. This is especially
true ifyou are in an at risk population group, such as asthmatics, fetuses, infants and children, persons with heart and respiratory problems or anyone with a compromised or weakened immune system. I have lupus, which has weakened my immune system, so emissions from burning coal put me at higherrisk for more suffering andpremature death. Yet, even though carbon threatens ourhealth, oureconomy, and our children's future, it is beyond logic orreason thatwe currently have no national limits on how much carbon and deadly poisons canbe released into our air by the nation's largest source ofcarbon pollution-dirty coal fired powerplants. Ifwe know a company or industry is preparing to dump even more hazardous waste into

our air, water andbackyard, why not try to stop it before it's too late. In fact, if you or I dumped arsenic, cyanide, lead or mercury onto our next door neighbor's property, we would likely be charged with a crime and arrested. Why should corporations be allowedto get a permit and do the same thingjustto make a profit? While we can't see the carbon, mercury and otherpollutants in the air and
water with oureyes, we can certainly see their damage in the severe cases of asthma, bronchitis, heartdisease, cancer andbrain damage to fetuses, infants (over)and children. According to the Clean AirTask Force, coal pollution in the United States costs us more than $100 billion annually in health costs. Over 12,000 emergencyroom visits peryear are due to coal-related illness. The same report estimates that the coal plants nearbyto Norfolk burden ourresidents with an additional $90.6 million dollars annually in health care and 14 premature deaths attributed to emissions from burning coal. Let's stop putting the profits ofthe 1% before the common good ofthe 99%. Please place the health of300 million people, our precious environment and the economy above the corporate bottom line. Ifwe looked at this on a cost benefit basis and factored in the known harm to our health, the premature deaths, environmental damage and adverse economic impact, coal burning powerplants

are a big loser. EPA, DOE, and industry projections indicate that, due to the economics of coal and natural gas among other factors, new power plants that are built overthe
next decade ormore would be expected to meet this proposed standard even inthe absence ofthe rule. So let's move ahead with it at deliberate speed because it is
not expected to cause significant additional costs that would impact electricity prices orreliability. Furthermore, energy companies can meet this standard by using clean, renewable energy and technological innovation as noted by the fact that several states and foreign countries already have limits oncarbonpollution. It'stime for our nation to focus our energy on supporting sustainable clean energy jobsinstead ofcontinuingto rely onold, dirty coal-fired plants for our energy. Every family has the right to breathe clean air, free from the toxic pollution that has takentoo many lives and destroyed too many communities. We cannot accept more dirty coal while ourfriends and family miss days ofschool and work, ending up in the emergencyroom orthe morgue instead. These proposed carbon limits will ensure that ouryoung, the old, those inbetween, ourcommunities, and America's work force are healthier, while creating thousands ofgreatly needed jobs and fighting climate disruption.