Clean Power Plan will benefit all, including communities of color

by TheHill.com - 07/06/16 6:33 PM ET

I’m writing to respond to a recent post on The Hill’s Contributors blog — “The EPA must respect the Supreme Court’s authority,” June 29, written by National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) President and CEO Harry C. Alford. In his piece, Mr. Alford continues to peddle misinformation about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan (CPP).

The fact is, pollution-cutting policies such as the CPP have positive effects for everyone. When communities are healthy and thriving, our entire country enjoys the benefits.

{mosads}The CPP will reduce toxic carbon pollution by 5,600 tons, improving the health of communities that disproportionately suffer from the effects of coal pollution, including higher rates of certain diseases, higher medical bills, missed school and workdays and lost wages.

Not only does Mr. Alford vastly overstate the cost of the EPA’s plan, but he ignores the billions in health and economic benefits that will result from the reduction in carbon pollution, estimated at $55 billion to $93 billion a year by 2030. This includes the nearly 10,000 lives that will be saved by the CPP, many in communities of color. In addition, families will save on their monthly bills as affordable, clean energy becomes more widespread.

Mr. Alford and the NBCC have been working for more than a decade to undermine progress on clean energy. Despite numerous studies highlighting the negative health impacts of coal pollution, Mr. Alford remains steadfast in his support of climate deniers like Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and the fossil fuel and utility interests that contribute to his organization, delivering a tailored message to convince African-American and Hispanic communities they cannot afford a clean energy future.

In fact, clean energy policies are widely supported by communities of color because of the economic and health benefits they provide.

As the Internal Revenue Service continues its investigation into whether the NBCC has been abusing its tax-exempt status, Mr. Alford must be held accountable for continuing to spread misinformation among the communities he purports to represent.

From Evlondo Cooper, senior fellow, Checks and Balances Project, Arlington, Va.

Public transit needs new leadership

Brian Robertson’s “Can mass transit survive in US?” (June 29, The Hill’s Contributors blog) gets it right that our nation’s crumbling, cash-strapped public transportation systems need strong political leadership, innovative policy ideas and “a new recognition of the truth that investment in essential infrastructure, including transportation, is essential to get the country back on a track to robust economic growth.”

But how does the “toxic employee culture” get blamed somehow on the union? They are not the leaders, they don’t manage the culture and they should not be scapegoated for the bad management that is rightly documented by Robertson. The union’s involvement in the culture is not even explained, never mind documented. It’s a gratuitous shot.

In fact, Metro transit workers, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), have been at the forefront of exposing the safety problems, mismanagement and underfunding of WMATA for many years and have long stood ready to work with Metro to take positive long-term action to fix the system and culture. They are the workers up at 3 a.m. fixing the tracks, the workers repairing broken-down trains, the workers dealing with crowded trains and much more.

From Larry Hanley, international president, Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO, Silver Spring, Md.