The bad news is that public health is being damaged by easily preventable air pollution. The good news is that there are many solutions if the political will can be found to implement them. I'm concerned that here at the legislative mainstream environmental protection is depicted as radical extremism.
People assume environmental law is based on protecting public health.
But that's not true. Polluters buy their way out of responsibility, factoring fines in as part of their budget for business. The MPCA does not force polluters to fix the problem or shut down businesses that continue to endanger the environment. One day's use of a jetski puts out the same amount of air pollution as driving a car for 100,000 miles. The public pays with rises in cancer, lung disease and asthma in chldren.