An environmental policy veteran who got her start in the public health offices of Stoughton and Canton is on her way to taking the nation’s top environmental post.
 
Regina McCarthy, 58, was nominated by President Barack Obama on Monday to head the Environmental Protection Agency, where she has served as an assistant administrator and head of the Office of Air and Radiation since 2009. She is expected to face a tough confirmation in Congress, even though she made it through a confirmation vote for her current position four years ago.
 

(Washington DC)  Clean Water Action called on Congress today to take emergency action to suspend the automatic across-the-board budget cuts known as “sequestration” as the President continues to negotiate with Congress, and to instead adopt a responsible budget that cuts tax breaks for polluters and protects public health and the environment. “Indiscriminately slashing funds for vital programs that monitor and protect the health of our water and air will not solve the nation’s fiscal problems and will put the health of millions of Americans at risk,” said Clean Water Action President Robert Wendelgass.

WASHINGTON, DC – Clean Water Action today praised President Obama’s nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), calling her a “non-partisan professional with 25 years of experience who will protect our health and our environment.”  

McCarthy served as Deputy Administrator for Air and Radiation under outgoing EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. At EPA, she helped develop critical clean air standards, including rules limiting mercury and air toxics pollution and cutting greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants along with the historic fuel efficiency and emission standards for cars. She also served in the Administrations of Republican Governors William Weld, Paul Cellucci, Jane Swift and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Jodi Rell of Connecticut.

Washington, DC – Clean Water Action urged the Obama Administration to close gaps in Clean Water Act protections for many water bodies by finalizing draft policies first unveiled in 2012.  Today, water protection activists “celebrated” the one-year anniversary of when the draft policies were first sent for White House review. “Polls and surveys confirm that the American public overwhelmingly supports protecting all of our water, not just some of it,” said Clean Water Action President Robert Wendelgass.

Approximately half of U.S. electricity is generated by coal burning power plants, which produce almost 80% of US carbon emission from electricity generation. Burning coal is the number one driver of climate change in the United States. In addition to the staggering amount of carbon pollution produced by coal plants, they are also a huge threat to human health and our water resources. A typical 500 megawatt coal power plant uses more than 2 billion gallons of water each year while creating toxic by-products, such as coal ash, that contaminate ground and surface water sources.

Our Work on Coal:

Advocates of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for power plants see it as a way to continue to burn coal to generate electricity while meeting restrictions on heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution. The capture and storage processes pose very real challenges to our water resources, and there are other natural resource and public health considerations. It is imperative that potential impacts of these processes are understood and that strict government policies are in place before commercialization of this technology.

To learn more:

Nuclear power is not the solution to slowing climate change or meeting our electricity needs. Nuclear plants use billions of gallons of water every day to absorb excess heat, maintain safe operating temperature and drive steam-powered turbines. In a world with increased water stress a process that uses and pollutes this valuable resource is not the solution. Nuclear power is more expensive than any other energy source we use and relies on federal subsidies. Even if all these problems could be solved, which is not considered possible, new nuclear power plants could not be built or invested in quickly enough to address the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions.

Oil and natural gas contribute to climate change in various ways and also threaten water resources. Hydraulic fracturing (Fracking) is a relatively new method of drilling for oil and gas that allows industry to access resources that were previously inaccessible. Fracking uses two to four million gallons of fresh water for each well. It also produces millions of gallons of wastewater that can never be used again and must be properly treated and disposed.

The problems associated with our use of fossil fuels are well known and their effects on our climate and water are alarming. For the future, it is time for real, commonsense solutions. We must move toward a sustainable future. To do that we need to invest in clean, renewable energy sources that will continue to power us even after fossil fuels run out.

Congress has let automatic across-the-board spending cuts known as “sequestration” go into effect. The President and Congress must agree on a solution to stop the cuts to vital environmental, health, and other programs. These are the programs that help keep our drinking water clean and our air healthy.

Make sure environmental programs aren’t put at risk – contact your Representative and Senators today!