Consortium Statement on the EPA’s New Proposed Rules to Curb Carbon Pollution From Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new set of proposed rules to curb carbon pollution from new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants. Dr. Lisa Patel, Executive Director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (MSCCH), which represents 49 major medical societies and 700,000 physicians around the country, issued the following statement:

“MSCCH supports the new EPA proposal to limit carbon pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. As health professionals, we are gravely concerned that the climate crisis is increasingly impacting the health of our patients and communities. Every day, across the nation, we are seeing the health impacts of more extreme heat waves, devastating floods, and mental health effects such as anxiety about reduced access to water due to more severe droughts. These climate health impacts are becoming even more apparent as atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations rise.

The EPA’s proposed rules would move this sector toward the emissions reductions we must make if we seek to protect the health of our communities from dangerous warming. U.S. power plants are currently responsible for approximately 25% of the carbon pollution driving climate change. By requiring all fossil fuel-powered plants to either cut or capture their emissions by 2040, the U.S. could meet its commitment to cut its emissions in half by 2030 and stop emitting carbon dioxide by 2050.

We look forward to reviewing this proposal further and providing comments to the EPA on how to cut carbon pollution to best protect the health of the patients and communities we serve.”