Clean Air Council is excited to announce we have been awarded the Play Everywhere Philly Challenge grant from KABOOM! and William Penn Foundation. This grant will support child development and literacy skills by creating play and learning spaces at entrances to Cobbs Creek Park. This project will transform four park entrances to include mural art on the paved trail and areas for children and families to learn and play together. 

The Council has partnered with Amber Art and Design and Tiny WPA to develop, design, and build art and play spaces in the vision of community members. Throughout the next several months we will be gaining inspiration and ideas from residents in order to guide the new play space designs. 

The project team has created a short survey as a starting place to learn more about what Cobbs Creek Park neighbors would like to see included in the design. We invite Cobbs Creek Park users and area neighbors to our first workshop which will include an evening of creativity, story sharing and imagination as we collectively envision and design mural art on trails and play areas for children and families. This free family-friendly event will take place on Wednesday, March 6th from 5-7:30pm at Christy Rec Center, located at 728 S 55th St, Philadelphia, PA 19143.


RSVP for the workshop at eventbrite.com and complete the survey using this link.

Left to right: Elaine Fultz (Citizen’s Climate Lobby), Eric Cheung (Clean Air Council), Dennis Newman (Amtrak), Joe Minott (Clean Air Council)

PHILADELPHIA (February 1, 2024) –  In mid-November, Amtrak made the decision to forego the installation of new gas boilers for heating in favor of clean, renewable energy, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and public health. Clean Air Council is now recognizing Amtrak for its actions to protect the environment and health of surrounding communities. Amtrak will convert its current steam generation to electricity that would be generated by wind and solar, or use biofuels. In addition, Amtrak has committed to purchasing 100 percent clean energy by 2030 and to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

“Amtrak’s decision to use clean renewable energy instead of methane gas boilers is a big win for the climate and public health,” said Eric Cheung, Clean Air Council Acting Executive Director. “Amtrak’s action will help us advance the rapid transition off of fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy needed to combat the climate crisis. It also prevents Philadelphia residents from being exposed to the harmful air pollution that would have been emitted by the gas boilers.” 

“After considering valuable external perspectives from stakeholders— including the Clean Air Council and Citizens Climate Lobby — Amtrak chose to eliminate gas boilers from the Gray 30th Street Station Redevelopment Project plans,” said Dennis Newman, executive vice president, strategy and planning, Amtrak. “We are grateful to be recognized with the Environmental Award from the Clean Air Council as we continue our efforts to be good community partners and a leading provider of sustainable travel.”

In addition to its action and commitment to protect the environment, Clean Air Council is presenting Amtrak with this award for its meaningful engagement with community organizations and listening to their concerns about the switch to gas-fired boilers it had been considering. By engaging with the community, the best possible outcome was achieved for all parties involved. 

Every September and May, the Council runs month-long biking challenges through the Love to Ride platform aimed at getting new and occasional riders to bike more frequently. Workplaces and riders across Philadelphia compete for prizes and encourage each other to embrace biking as a sustainable form of transportation. This is a piece of the Council’s transportation work to convert single occupancy vehicles trips to sustainable transportation options like walking, transit, and biking! 

Transportation is the leading source of emissions that contribute to climate change, and private cars make up the largest part of that sector. Additionally, traffic and idling negatively impact local air quality and are a major contributor to ozone pollution which in turn can cause Air Quality Action Days for the region. Therefore, encouraging more people to take up biking, and providing resources to support them switching is a vital piece of tackling transportation emissions.

Indego bike at FDR Park
Indego is Philadelphia’s bike share and riders can rent bikes at over 100 stations in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods.

During the course of the 2023 Philadelphia Cycle September Challenge 412 riders took part from 56 workplaces and logged a total of 4,898 trips including 1,751 transportation trips which reduced CO2 emissions by 3,050 lbs. Of these riders, 96 were new and occasional riders. All told, during the month of September riders logged 73,235 miles of trips – equivalent to traveling three times around the earth at the equator! 

One of the ways the Love to Ride challenge encourages new and occasional riders to get more comfortable riding is through courses. These short interactive lessons on how to navigate the complexities of biking help to build riders’ confidence – whether that is biking in all weather conditions, how to bike as safely as possible in the city, what to wear while riding, or how to make sure your bike is safe for the road. The most popular courses for Philadelphia riders include Riding in the Rain, Riding in the Heat, and Riding One-handed, which shows that riders are looking for resources that help them expand their biking skills and allow them to bike even when conditions are not ideal. 

This Spring, the Council will run the May Bike Month Challenge and even if you haven’t participated before, or are not someone who thinks of themselves as a cyclist it’s a great time to push yourself to try using this sustainable form of transportation. You can set personal goals at the start of the month –  whether that is simply getting on a bike one time, riding to work twice a week, or riding every day all month – it’s a great way to take fewer single occupancy car trips. If you are already an ardent cyclist, the Bike Month Challenge is a great time to encourage coworkers, friends, and family to give biking a try. At the end of the day, more people biking means fewer people in cars as well as more people interested in adding bike infrastructure like bike lanes and bike racks, which make it easier for even more people to adopt biking as a form of transportation.

Car centric road design requires a tremendous amount of parking, but what if this public space was used for something else? Each year in cities across the world, people come together to reimagine street parking into safe and inviting pedestrian spaces. The Council and its pedestrian advocacy group Feet First Philly are long time participants in this international celebration, and this year the Council’s team turned a parking space on the 1800 block of Chestnut St. into a temporary parklet where people walking by could try their hand at redesigning a city street with an interactive game. Check out these photos from our parklet in Center City, Philadelphia.

Learn how you can get a permanent parklet in your Philly neighborhood with this Feet First Philly Infographic, or contact Titania Markland, Transportation Outreach Coordinator to learn more about parklets and PARK(ing) Day at tmarkland@cleanair.org.

Reductions in cross-state smog-forming emissions will go forward

Environmental and health groups celebrated an important step toward clean air after a federal appeals court today denied the requests of states and industry groups to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Good Neighbor Rule.” The rule, designed to address cross-state air pollution and the adverse health effects of ozone pollution, also called smog, will improve public health and air quality.

The Good Neighbor Rule, a vital measure aimed at reducing cross-state air pollution, requires coal-burning power plants and other high-polluting industrial sources to decrease emissions that contribute to smog. Polluters in upwind states like Indiana and Ohio that had previously avoided implementing pollution controls are slated to reduce their contributions to hazardous smog levels in downwind states like Connecticut and Wisconsin.

“The court’s refusal to block this protective air rule serves as a critical step towards holding upwind polluters accountable for their contribution to cross-state smog,” said the coalition of health and environmental groups defending the rule. “We remain committed to fighting for cleaner air and a healthier future, ensuring that polluters are held responsible for jeopardizing air quality.”

The federal appeals court’s decision to reject the stay request is a triumph for communities striving to combat the health risks posed by air pollution. EPA estimates that the Good Neighbor Rule, when fully implemented, will prevent more than a million asthma attacks annually and at least a thousand premature deaths. This rule will also improve the health of forests and waterbodies harmed by ozone and its precursor pollutants.

“This court decision marks a crucial step in our ongoing battle to hold upwind polluters accountable for exacerbating cross-state smog pollution,” said Earthjustice Attorney Kathleen Riley. “With more than 127 million people residing in regions plagued by harmful ozone levels, the Good Neighbor Rule protects public health. Earthjustice will keep fighting to ensure that this and national air quality rules truly protect public health.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals decision for the D.C. Circuit is notable after other courts blocked a related rule from going forward in certain states. With support from the coalition of environmental and health organizations, EPA has consistently argued that all challenges to these national protections should be heard in the D.C. Circuit, the court with experience reviewing prior Good Neighbor rules.

Smog, a harmful form of air pollution generated by vehicles, factories, and power plants, leads to asthma attacks, heart and lung diseases, and premature deaths nationwide.

The Good Neighbor Rule is just one necessary step to protect people from the adverse health impacts of air pollution. Recent studies show that the national standards for particulate matter—soot—and smog- are far too weak to protect people from premature death, lung cancer, reproductive harm, and cardiovascular disease. This year, the EPA proposed a new standard for soot, but it’s not nearly as strong as scientists and doctors say it needs to be. Stronger soot and smog regulations would save tens of thousands of lives.

A coalition of environmental and health groups has defended the Good Neighbor Rule in court. The coalition includes the Environmental Defense Fund; Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Clean Air Council, and Clean Wisconsin represented by the Clean Air Task Force; and Air Alliance Houston, Appalachian Mountain Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Downwinders at Risk, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, represented by Earthjustice.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 1, 2023) Feet First Philly (FFP), a volunteer led pedestrian advocacy organization and a project of the Clean Air Council, launched the fourth round of their Public Space Enhancement Mini-grant program that funds projects aimed at improving Philadelphia’s pedestrian environment. The mini-grant winners receive funding ranging from $500 to $2000 to create public space enhancements and safety improvements. FFP is hosting an informational webinar on August 24th for anyone who is interested in learning more about the mini-grants. 

FFP is Philly’s only volunteer advocacy group dedicated to pedestrians and sponsored by the Clean Air Council. In 2020, FFP launched its first pedestrian enhancement mini-grant program with seven projects that were led by and benefited local communities. Since then, the program has awarded 34 mini-grants to local organizations all over Philadelphia. These projects provided funding for extended efforts to clean up the Cobbs Creek Trail, create a pocket park for community members to access and engage with, hire a contractor to do reconstruction of a severely damaged sidewalk in Kensington, paint a mural on a newsstand, add amenities to a local meadow to make it a walking destination, install bike racks to prevent illegal parking and so much more. With the mini-grant funding, FFP and its partner organizations have been able to enhance public spaces in Philadelphia in unique ways. 

“The mini-grant program has successfully funded 32 projects that include Kensington Neighborhood Association, Village of Arts and Humanities, Hunting Park Community Garden, Cobbs Creek Ambassadors, ACHEIVEability and so many more,” said Nick Zuwiala-Rogers, Clean Air Council Transportation Program Director. “We’ve had a lot of new grant proposals come in to expand the program. We’re so excited that we can continue to fund community and pedestrian improvements.”

“Pedestrian advocacy projects bring communities around Philadelphia together to create safer and healthier spaces,” said Titania Markland, Clean Air Council Transportation Outreach Coordinator. “They allow for people from all walks of life to come together and make this city a safer and healthier place. Through the mini-grant, we can give Philadelphians the ability to build their communities in ways that benefit their neighbors.”  Safety is a top priority for this program and applicants are encouraged to identify ways their project can improve safety in their communities.

FFP received funding from the Department of Public Health for the mini-grants. If you are interested in applying or want more information, attend the webinar on August 24th at 6pm EST. Applicants can email tmarkland@cleanair.org to set up a one on one meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss their project ideas. Applications for the mini-grant are open until Monday, October 9th at 11:59 PM EST. 

Funding limits the amount of amazing projects the program can support, but supporters can help. Every $2000 raised means one more project gets funding, and a community in Philadelphia can improve a public space in a way that reflects their vision for more walkable, safe, and accessible neighborhoods. Feet First Philly has set up a donation page with funds raised going directly to supporting more mini-grants. Make an impact with a gift today, and help fund more public space enhancement projects in Philadelphia. Support this program here.

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Feet First Philly is Philadelphia’s only advocacy group dedicated to pedestrian rights sponsored by the Clean Air Council. Feet First Philly volunteers meet regularly to plan advocacy campaigns, public walks with a theme, and to discuss policy issues that affect pedestrians.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (September 1, 2022) Feet First Philly (FFP) launched the third season of their public space enhancement mini-grant program that funds projects aimed at improving Philadelphia’s pedestrian environment. The mini-grant winners receive funding from $500 to $2000 to create public space enhancements and safety improvements. FFP is hosting an informational webinar on September 7th for anyone who is interested in learning more about the mini-grants. 

FFP is Philly’s only volunteer advocacy group dedicated to pedestrians and sponsored by the Clean Air Council. In 2020, FFP launched its first pedestrian enhancement mini-grant program with seven projects that benefited local communities. The second year of the mini-grant funded nine projects. These projects provided funding for extended efforts to clean up the Cobbs Creek Trail, create a pocket park for community members to access and engage with, hire a contractor to do reconstruction of a severely damaged sidewalk in Kensington, paint a mural on a newsstand, add amenities to a local meadow to make it a walking destination, and so much more. With the mini-grant funding, FFP has been able to enhance public spaces in Philadelphia in unique ways. 

“The mini grant program has successfully funded 16 projects that include Kensington include Kensington Neighborhood Association, Village Arts and Humanities, and so many more,” said  Nick Zuwiala-Rogers, Clean Air Council Transportation Program Director. “We’ve had a lot of new grant proposals come in to expand the program. We’re so excited that we can continue to fund community and pedestrian improvements.”

“Pedestrian advocacy projects bring communities around Philadelphia together to create safer and healthier spaces,” said Titania Markland, Clean Air Council Transportation Outreach Coordinator. “They allow for people from all walks of life to come together and make this city a safer and healthier space. Through the mini-grant, we can give Philadelphians the ability to build the city how they see it and how they want it to be.”

FFP received funding from the Department of Public Health for the  mini-grants. This year, FFP was awarded $9000 towards funding more mini-grants and received $1000 from University of Pennsylvania students that will be used as a stipend for one or two community members to be a part of the selection committee. The funding is split into $500 to $2000 mini-grants for the projects. If you are interested in applying or want more information, attend a webinar on September 7th at noon EST. Applications for the mini-grant are open until Tuesday, October 11th at 11:59 p.m EST. 

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A cyclist rides an Indego bike.

If you follow Clean Air Council on social media or get our emails you’ve probably been asked to participate in Bike Month or Cycle September. But why are these programs which seek to increase biking in Philadelphia an important effort for protecting clean air?

Transportation makes up the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the US. In Philadelphia, in addition to the emissions impacts, single occupancy vehicles are a major cause of traffic congestion which means idling cars and the exhaust they release lower air quality. To combat the ways car travel negatively influences the air we breathe, Council staff implement programs that encourage people to switch to sustainable forms of transportation. Getting more people riding bikes is an important part of the solution in helping to make our air cleaner, roads safer, and limit the contribution from single occupancy vehicles to CO2 emissions. 

During Cycle September and Bike Month in May, the Council uses the Love to Ride online platform to encourage people of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels to challenge themselves to bike for transportation. A transportation trip is any bike ride that’s primary purpose is to get to (or from) a destination, for instance biking to work, the store, or to visit a friend. While there are many personal, communal, and global benefits to biking for transportation, there are also some real barriers for many people to switch to biking. The daunting task of navigating biking on busy city streets, not owning a bicycle, or a lack of available bike parking at work or other destinations are just a few of the reasons that can make it a challenge to try biking. Communities need interventions to make cycling more accessible for people. The Love to Ride platform helps to eliminate some of these barriers by connecting new and occasional cyclists with the resources and community support to get them biking during the challenge month and keep them biking in the future. In turn, bike challenges like Cycle September help get more people invested in biking in the region, and passionate about supporting bike infrastructure in their local community.  

During the Cycle September workplace challenge, workplaces across the greater Philadelphia region register for free on the Love to Ride website and compete against other workplaces of  similar sizes to get more people biking during the month. Individuals and workplaces win prizes, and this challenge rewards new riders for setting up and achieving personal goals. Workplaces are an important space to promote biking, because for people who work in-person, replacing even a few car commutes with bike commutes is a great way to decrease pollution. One study found that switching one trip from car to bike reduces an average commuter’s total transportation emissions that day by 67%. Even for workplaces that are fully virtual the challenge provides a good way for coworkers to reconnect while working together to become more sustainable.  

As September approaches you can sign up your workplace to participate in this year’s challenge, donate a prize to help encourage biking, or start setting your own goals to replace car trips with bike rides. 

To learn more about the Cycle September and Bike Month reach out to Maya Frydman, Transportation Outreach Coordinator at mfrydman@cleanair.org.

Philadelphia, PA (May 16, 2022) All neighborhoods in Philadelphia deserve green space. Climate change is here and it is having a disproportionate and serious impact on disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. That is not acceptable. Lack of resilience in such neighborhoods against the health and welfare threats of climate change must not be allowed to continue. While much of the harm is caused by climate change – the harm is also due to long time neglect due to institutional and systemic racism.  Communities in Southwest Philadelphia, North Philadelphia and the lower Northeast deserve as much greenspace as Chestnut Hill and Lower Merion. 

The former Philadelphia refinery represents 1,400 acres of transformative potential that could improve public health, provide local recreational amenities, and increase the city’s ability to manage stormwater and the rising Schuylkill river. Many city leaders and government officials simply assumed that the site would continue as a refinery or other heavy industrial use because of extreme soil contamination caused by 160 years of fossil fuel activity. That kind of short-term thinking is short-sighted and would have harmed the health and quality of nearby neighbors and frankly the greater Philadelphia region for generations to come.  

Directly across the river from the former refinery, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) is removing contaminated soil from previous industrial activity in order to extend existing recreational trails at Bartram’s Garden. That is a good step forward. We need more greenspace in the city and I applaud PIDC’s current effort to expand riverfront access along the Schuylkill. 

Hilco, the new owner of the former refinery, should follow this lead and develop accessible, safe public greenspace at the former refinery site. 

There is a theory among some planners that low income neighborhoods should limit their greening in order to prevent gentrification. That is not acceptable, it is not fair and simply ignores past racism. The City of Philadelphia has an obligation to protect local residents from the gentrification that often accompanies infrastructure investments in parks and trails.

Local residents are rightly concerned that expanded public amenities could accelerate already rising rents and property taxes. All Philadelphians deserve access to well-maintained, safe, and accessible greenspace without risking being displaced from their homes by income disparities. Increasing greenspace is a key strategy in mitigating the impacts of climate change such as flooding and urban extreme heat. Many studies have clearly established that greenspace improves positive mental and physical health. It is discouraging, but understandable, to see local residents feeling that they have to oppose the increased development of recreational infrastructure and other greenspace out of fear that it will raise their cost of living and ultimately displace them from their homes and communities. These fears are real, and must be addressed. In order to prevent development from increasing property taxes and rent in historically underserved communities of color, there are several necessary city policies and programs that can be enacted, and in some cases reopened or expanded.

Residents are currently witnessing property tax and rent increases caused by new development, while new property owners are protected by the 10-year new construction property tax abatement. Although ending the tax abatement was discussed in City Council, it remains in effect with 2022 applications subject to a gradual increase of property taxes over 10 years. This program began in 2000 and was intended to be a temporary stimulus for new construction. Over twenty years later this supposedly temporary tax incentive is still in effect. Approximately half of the property tax collected in Philadelphia is intended for the Philadelphia School District.

The City offers a Homestead Exemption available to all property owners that could reduce the taxable cost to a home owner by $45,000, potentially saving homeowners $629 in annual property taxes. Considering the much larger funds currently being lost to the property tax abatement, this program needs to be expanded. The current deadline to apply for the homestead exemption is September 13th, 2022. Apply now! This is also the early deadline for applications to the City’s Senior Citizen Tax Freeze Program. We need these programs to be expanded to target lower income households and residents also need more outreach staff to help navigate the application process.

The city has thankfully reopened Philly First Home, a previously closed program to assist first time home buyers. The program offers $10,000 grants to help new homeowners with down payments or closing costs. Reopening this program is likely the single most impactful effort the City could undertake to support residents attempting to build intergenerational wealth and establish anchors in their communities. 

Philadelphia also has no current policy regulating rent increases while New York City and San Francisco have both administered successful rent control campaigns for decades. Landlords are still able to raise rent in these cities, it is simply limited to 5-10% of current rent. This is commonsense economic policy that gives renters confidence they will be able to stay in their homes, while also allowing landlords to account for inflation. Currently, new property owners have an extremely clear timeline when property taxes will be collected. Renters should be entitled to a similar assurance. 

On top of existing economic pressures for current residents and tax breaks for new property owners, the City often does not enforce its own open space standards, making public parks and trails all the more necessary. Unfortunately, many Philadelphia neighborhoods in need of expanded greenspace are under immense pressure from housing developers who routinely request zoning appeals to avoid the city’s minimal 20-25% open space requirements for multifamily housing developments. Lack of greenspace puts increased pressure on aging homes during flooding events and further increases the difficulty of Philadelphia residents to stay in their often deteriorating homes. 

The City of Philadelphia has acknowledged the existential threat of climate change, but has been slower to adopt economic policies that will protect residents as infrastructure updates and increased public amenities raise property taxes. The need for expanded parks and trails in this time of extreme weather cannot be understated. These public health and quality of life improvements must be accompanied by just economic policy that does not favor new property owners at the expense of existing residents. 

For more information contact Russell Zerbo at rzerbo@cleanair.org

Please click here to view the source of the featured image.

Frozen Schuylkill River

(Feb 07, 2022) Harrisburg, PA The start of a new year provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the past and plan for the future.  2021 was yet another stressful and difficult year for us all. COVID-19 continued to upend almost every aspect of life in America and around the world. In the United States, there seems to be increased anger and pessimism about the future. 

For the last three years, I have not seen my Clean Air Council colleagues except through zoom. I really miss them. The Council continues to work remotely – the furthest remote employee is located in Montana!  The Council has an amazing staff and I am so impressed by how quickly they adapted to remote work.  On the other hand, it is sad how divided America was in 2021, and the bitterness between fellow Americans  seems to be growing. But 2021 was also a year of optimism where long-established issues of social injustice started increasingly being addressed despite growing backlash towards change of any kind. Many Americans, businesses and nonprofits are still struggling to understand how to best move forward productively and with optimism.  2022 is a new year, and I pray that healing from the pandemic, economic downturn and our political divide can start early. It is also an election year in which I hope we all do our patriotic duty and vote. 

This year will mark  my 40th at the Council. At age 67, I still do not want to leave my beloved organization and its critical mission. But I also recognize that sometime in the not far future some young, eager, much more talented person will take my job and continue to grow the Council. One of the issues that the Council staff and board are working on is how to ensure a smooth transition when the time comes for me to retire. 

The last few years have been hard for environmental protection. The Trump administration rolled back many of the baseline federal environmental protections that the Council worked for years to secure. At the state level, there were some victories and some defeats. In the last couple of years, Pennsylvania has seen some progress in addressing climate change, yet state elected officials continue to promote policies and subsidies that support the fossil fuel industry. The Council’s top  priority is to get the United States and all 50 states  to move forward in a meaningful way  to address climate change. This requires getting Pennsylvania’s elected leaders to understand the great environmental and economic opportunities provided by the green economy.

The Council has had many achievements since 1967 – when the organization was first created.  Today we know so much more about our environment and the devastating impacts of fossil fuel extraction and combustion, which directly fuels the climate crisis and causes devastating public health harms. We know climate change is not only real but already causing serious damage throughout the country and in many Pennsylvania communities. And yet Pennsylvania leaders at all levels of government – while paying lip service to the issue – continue to promote fossil fuel expansion.

I have some optimism that at the federal level we will see some progress in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. But those efforts will likely not be enough, nor will they reflect the amount of reductions needed in the relatively short timespan dictated by the science.  In Pennsylvania, now the second largest fossil gas producer in the US, methane and other pollutants endanger the health of residents throughout the state . Meanwhile, new pipelines are tearing through our communities, and irresponsible drilling has resulted in hundreds of spills, tree clearing, seriously harming local communities, and local ecosystems. Yet the state seems to refuse to adequately penalize chronic bad polluters. The state fines them at a level that amounts to chump change for multi-billion dollar companies. Many of these companies have forfeited their social license to operate in Pennsylvania and their permits need to be revoked.

Having chosen to be an environmental advocate in Pennsylvania, I have no choice but to be an optimist. I believe 2022 will offer new opportunities to block the growing anti-environmentalism among many of our elected officials. Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly want clean air, clean water and protected open spaces. In fact, it is guaranteed in Pennsylvania’s Constitution by the Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) and, thanks to groups like Clean Air Council and others, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has reinvigorated the ERA and ruled that our fundamental environmental rights are enforceable and protected by law.

We have a lot to do in the coming year and, thanks to our supporters, I am convinced we’ll make great strides. Here are the Council’s priorities for 2022:

Work with other environmental groups to overturn the Trump Administration’s rollbacks of federal environmental laws that protect public health and the environment: The Biden administration is still politically moderate but does support moving forward on addressing climate change and using good science in policy development and rule-making. It represents a sea change from the disastrous prior administration and, believe it or not, represents the most aggressive climate policy approach from any White House in history. 

Ensure enforcement of rules and regulations that protect public health, quality of life and preservation of ecosystems in Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania is a state that has always been welcoming of extractive industries. Over the last few years, the General Assembly has deliberately underfunded the Department of Environmental Protection so that it cannot fulfill its constitutional obligation to  protect public health and the environment through rigorous permit reviews, enforcement of existing laws and regulations, and monitoring of potential polluters. 

Pennsylvanians continue to see proposals for new, gigantic gas-fired power plants and pipelines that offer no real benefits to the people of Pennsylvania and will seriously degrade the environment. Groups like Clean Air Council are left to pick up the slack. We are up to the task and are ready to support residents and local groups across the state in raising concerns about proposed fossil fuel projects. The Council has no fear of suing the DEP or any industry if needed to protect public health and the environment. The Council also willingly lends our expertise to DEP as the agency  develops and proposes new regulations. Finally, the Council will continue to work with local governments throughout Pennsylvania on developing ordinances that limit where polluting sources can be sited in order to protect public health and fragile ecosystems.

Give voice to environmental justice communities impacted by pollution: It is no secret that some communities are more impacted than others when it comes to being asked to host polluting facilities. Working to bring environmental justice to these communities is a top priority of the Council. The Council’s community organizers, engineers and lawyers help residents ensure that their voices are heard. As one example, the Council’s engineers have developed accurate, low-cost air monitoring devices, designed to be loaned to communities, so concerned residents can monitor air pollution levels where they live, or where their children go to school. The Council, working with local community members, forced Sunoco to reopen its public input process to ensure that community members would have a voice in how the old refinery site should be cleaned up.

Promote the green economy: We need to rapidly shift away from using fossil fuels. The history of fossil fuel extraction in Pennsylvania has left a terrible toll on our state’s environment. I am proud that Clean Air Council is working with local governments big and small throughout Pennsylvania to support them in their move  to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy in their communities. The Council will continue to fight against state and local barriers that stand in the way of expanding solar and wind power in Pennsylvania.

Reduce pollution from the transportation sector: Pollution from the transportation sector is a leading cause of air pollution and greenhouse emissions. COVID, in a perverse way, encouraged people to work from home and exercise outdoors.  More people were riding bikes than ever before and enjoying the outdoors as pedestrians. As people return to work, though, they are more likely to go back to driving alone, and we will see increased pollution from the transportation sector. Even if people choose to stay remote, more people ordering packages for home delivery will increase demand for diesel fuel to transport goods in heavy-duty trucks. The Council will continue to work at the state and local level to help public transportation recover, expand bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and make it easier to get around without a single-occupancy gasoline-powered car. The Council is involved in working with policy makers and industry to build out electric vehicle infrastructure in an equitable way. 

The Council depends on support from the public for all the important work we do. I love hearing feedback from our supporters on how they think the Council is doing, and about more ways we can help protect your right to a healthy environment. Please reach out to members@cleanair.org, and I will look forward to reading your feedback and suggestions!

Sincerely,

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq

Executive Director and Chief Counsel

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