EPA: LATINO LEADERS URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT AIR, CLIMATE REGULATIONS

Sep 30, 2010

GABRIEL NELSON, E&E reporter

Latino groups are urging Congress to resist pressure to scale back or delay U.S. EPA's air pollution and climate regulations.

In a letter sent yesterday, 19 Latino groups including the National Hispanic Medical Association and the League of United Latin American Citizens urged President Obama and Congress to oppose any legislation that would prevent the agency from enforcing the Clean Air Act.

Latinos in the United States already face heightened health risks because of air pollution, the letter says. About two-thirds of them live in areas that have not achieved all of EPA's air quality standards.

At a congressional briefing this week on climate change and air pollution, EPA scientists said rising temperatures caused by human activities would lead to higher levels of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog. That would lead to health problems across much of the Southwest and in cities with large Hispanic populations, the letter says.

"Low-income and minority communities often have less access to health care and less ability to incur the costs of heat-related health threats," it says. "Any legislation that blocks the Clean Air Act will severely jeopardize the public health and impact productivity in our communities."

The letter was spearheaded by Voces Verdes, or "Green Voices," a group affiliated with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Rafael Fantauzzi, president of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, said the letter sends the message that Latino voters are highly invested in energy and climate issues. Polls have shown that they are willing to pay more to protect the environment, he said, adding that they would benefit from energy efficiency or renewable energy legislation because of their heavy presence in the construction industry.

"The reality is, to a lot of people in this country -- other than the immigration issue -- Latinos are invisible," said Fantauzzi, who is also chief of the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change. "That's why it's extremely important to say to Congress that we're here, we're part of the constituency, and we're not only here when you need our votes."

CLICK HERE to read the letter in English

LIDERES LATINOS PIDEN AL CONGRESO APOYO POR REGULACIONES DEL AIRE Y EL CLIMA

29 de septiembre del 2010

LIDERES LATINOS PIDEN AL CONGRESO APOYO POR REGULACIONES DEL AIRE Y EL CLIMA

En nombre de los grupos firmantes y en representación de más de 5 millones de ciudadanos latinos por todos los EE.UU., les urgimos que se opongan a cualquier legislación que impida o demore a la Agencia para la Protección Ambiental (EPA) de aplicar la Ley del Aire Limpio. La contaminación del aire tiene graves impactos a la salud humana y es un asunto de salud pública de la mayor importancia para la comunidad hispana, quien tristemente se enfrenta a riesgos más altos por la contaminación del aire.

La contaminación del aire amenaza a un gran número de latinos por todo el país. Se estima que un 66 por ciento de los latinos en EE.UU., o unas 25,6 millones de personas, viven en áreas que no cumplen con las normas del gobierno federal de calidad del aire.i
Estas áreas incluyen la región fronteriza entre EE.UU. y México, el Sur de California, el Valle Central de California y las ciudades de Chicago, Nueva York, Phoenix y Houston. Un aumento de temperaturas como resultado del calentamiento global afectará a muchos latinos ya que empeoraran los problemas de la formación de ozono al nivel del suelo, el cual es uno de los principales contribuyentes de asma y otras enfermedades respiratorias.

Para leer el resto de la carta en español, PULSE AQUI