Coalition Demands We Energies Stop Poisoning Our Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Contact: Kristen Grimes, 414-255-4101
Emily Miota, 262-853-6863
Coalition Demands We Energies Stop Poisoning Our Children
Alarming Number of Ozone alert days as We Energies remains silent on plan to clean up Valley
Milwaukee, WI — The first day of summer marks the season in Wisconsin when families head outdoors together, but this year is already promising to force people inside. Unsafe air quality has plagued Milwaukee ahead of the official start to summer. According to the Department of Natural Resources, on at least 7 days already this year air monitors in Milwaukee had ozone readings above the limit that U.S. EPA’s scientific advisors say is safe for the public. The county has experienced almost as many air quality advisories already in 2012 as it did for the entire year in 2011. This early string of unsafe air days is bad news heading into the summer months when ozone is typically the highest.
“It’s only the first day of summer so we can expect to see more unsafe air quality days in the coming months. As families head outside for the summer to enjoy everything Milwaukee has to offer, they should not have to worry that the air they breathe will make them sick,” said Kristen Grimes, senior asthma project manager with the Wisconsin Asthma Coalition. “The community needs We Energies to take responsibility for the health costs it continues to pass on to the community.”
The community directly surrounding the We Energies Valley Coal plant is heavily impacted by the plant’s pollution experiencing an extremely high rate of asthma emergency department visits and hospitalizations, costing over $8.6 million in 2011 alone. Pollution from the plant is linked to serious health problems such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes.
“The community is outraged over the fact that We Energies continues to ignore the health of people it serves.” said JuanCarlos Ruiz, community member, “As the weather heats up outside, the Cleaner Valley Campaign will be heating up too to ensure environmental justice for us all.”
Although the coalition has already collected over 1,000 petitions from Milwaukee area residents asking We Energies to clean up the facility, the Cleaner Valley Coalition plans to triple that number and is launching a new effort this summer that will educate thousands more in the community about the health and environmental impacts of Valley. In addition to area residents, the Coalition is also reaching out to business owners that support a healthier and cleaner Milwaukee.
“Downtown Milwaukee was built around a steam system that is more than 100 years old and still serves area businesses with steam for heat and industrial use.” said Emily Miota with the Sierra Club, “Unfortunately, that system is hooked up to the dirty Valley coal plant that is contributing to air pollution and making Milwaukee an unsafe place to live. It’s time for We Energies to work on a solution that allows our businesses to thrive while protecting Milwaukee’s greatest asset: its residents.”
The Cleaner Valley Coalition, a diverse group of health, faith, civil rights, neighborhood and environmental justice organizations, has called on We Energies to address its Valley coal plant located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. Valley, which was built in 1968, is the only coal plant in We Energies’ fleet without modern pollution controls, despite being situated in the most densely populated area of the city. The Valley plant adds thousands of tons of soot and smog to Milwaukee’s air each year, yet the Milwaukee utility refuses to commit to cleaning up the facility.
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The Cleaner Valley Coalition includes: American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin Children’s Environmental Health Sciences Core Center, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, Community Asthma Network, Interfaith Earth Network, Islamic Environmental Group of Wisconsin, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Milwaukee Latino Health Coalition, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Black Nurses Association – Milwaukee Chapter, Sierra Club, Southside Organizing Committee, Walker Square Neighborhood Association, Wisconsin Asthma Coalition, Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light.
