John,
Last week, Cori and Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver called on the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 7 Office — the office that protects the environment and health of communities in Missouri and several other states — to implement a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to protect vulnerable communities from the increasingly costly consequences of air pollution.
In 2020, Missouri was the second largest emitter of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the country. While Missouri has its own "State Implementation Plan" — it does not make any meaningful attempts to reduce the pollution that causes harmful haze, essentially making it useless.
Power plant pollution has a deep impact on the health of our communities by exacerbating respiratory illnesses and shortening lifespans. Oftentimes, those most impacted are from Black, brown, and low-income communities who do not have the resources to adequately fight back.
This is a crisis of great magnitude and we cannot wait any longer for empty solutions. Communities are hurting because of a lack of funding and government support for comprehensive climate and environmental action.
That's why Cori was key in securing the passage of the Environmental Justice Mapping and Data Collect Action last year and has always been a strong advocate for the Green New Deal and a Green New Deal for Cities that would lead our communities toward a brighter environmental future.
In solidarity,
— Team Cori
