News Release
Sierra Student Coalition, Coal Free IU

On Feb. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a modest air quality standard to protect Americans from life-threatening air pollution from industrial boilers, which emit toxic pollutants such as mercury, acid gases and arsenic. College students around the country are affected by toxic air pollution from on-campus boilers. This particular EPA safeguard is often called the “Boiler MACT (Maximum Available Control Technology).”

In response, Coal Free IU representative Lauren Kastner and Sierra Student Coalition organizer Alexis Boxer issued the following statement: “This long overdue and relatively modest air quality update by Administrator Lisa Jackson and the EPA will save lives, prevent disease and help college students avoid costly hospitalizations and missed schooldays."

"Even in small amounts, these life-threatening air pollutants are linked to cancer, birth defects, brain damage, respiratory disease and even early death." - Lauren Kastner, Alexis Boxer“The air toxics safeguard announced today will protect Americans from breathing some of the most dangerous and toxic pollutants known to us – arsenic, acid gases, lead and mercury. Even in small amounts, these life-threatening air pollutants are linked to cancer, birth defects, brain damage, respiratory disease and even early death.

“Without this critical update, millions of tons of air toxics will continue to be released into our air each year.”

Sierra Student Coalition organizer Alexis Boxer said, “The new standards for coal boilers ensures that energy suppliers, and in this case the campus coal plant, will be using the most efficient and up to date pollution controls.

“This small update to the Clean Air Act is crucial to the protection of our air and our health. We hope that this new rule will help push Indiana University further in the right direction, cleaning up the air we breathe and encouraging the rest of the country to move towards a clean energy future.”

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For more information
Emily Jackson, 317-340-8066
Alexis Boxer, 203 885 3629
Stop Polluters