Overturning EPA's endangerment finding: American Public Health Association, leading health organizations oppose

The American Public Health Association yesterday joined a dozen leading health organizations in urging the U.S. Senate to oppose a resolution introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski to overturn or block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's finding for six greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

In a letter to senators, the organizations wrote, "Given the serious public health implications of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, we believe overturning EPA's endangerment finding is bad public health policy." The finding, announced in December in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, enables EPA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act.

Greenhouse gases are the leading cause of climate change, which according to the groups "increase the likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves, more wildfires, degraded air quality, more flooding, increased drought, more intense storms, harm to water resources and harm to agriculture."

"We strongly urge you to oppose any amendment or resolution of disapproval to overturn or restrict EPA's greenhouse gas endangerment finding," the groups concluded.

Full text of the letter can be found at http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/1AD4D22E-5D35-403E-AE53-DC234C1E6292/0/UpdatedhealthltropposingMurkowskiGHGRes.pdf.

SOURCE American Public Health Association