Connecticut - The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

The Natural NewsEco-News for ConnecticutThe latest in what's good for people and good for the planetEPA Drops the Ball, States Bring Lawsuit20 THE NATURAL PAGES ® 0 MARCH-AUGUST 2008Connecticut joined a lawsuitagainst the EnvironmentalProtection Agency in January afterthe agency rejected new limits on greenhousegas emissions set to be adopted inCalifornia and fifteen other states.The issue at stake is whether or notstates have the right to protect their citizensby passing and enforcing their ownenvironmental standards.The EPA rejected California’s request fora waiver under the Clean Air Act, whichwould allow the state to set tougher limitson emissions from vehicles.California is the only state allowed bythe Act to request the waiver and haslong set the standard for progress onemissions. Other states can adopt thestandards afterward, and the states thatwere lined up to do so comprise morethan half of the nation’s car-buying public.The EPA denied the request on thepremise that it would lead to a “confusingpatchwork of state laws” as opposedto a unified national policy.Action at the state level may be the bestway forward to combat global warming.The federal government has repeatedlyshown its lack of resolve on the matter,failing to adopt the Kyoto protocol andderailing worldwide caps on carbonemissions.Both Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Relland the state’s Attorney General RichardBlumenthal have railed against theEPA’s decision.Blumenthal said in a press release,“We will not accept no as an answerfrom do-nothing federal environmentalofficials when our public health andplanet’s future are at stake. Top EPAofficials are blocking responsible statesteps against intolerable auto pollution,adding insult to injury and defying thelaw, common sense, science and theirown staff.”National HealthySchools DayThere has been growing attentionplaced on the effects of toxins towhich children are exposed, andthe health and behavioral detriments thatmay result. Parents may make every effortto keep their children safe at home – buyingorganic foods and non-toxic cleaners,avoiding toys that may contain leadpaints – but what happens at the schoolswhere kids spend much of their day?Air quality and other environmentalissues can seriously affect a child’s abilityto learn and function in school andultimately, their health. Mold, asbestos,pesticides and lead can trigger allergies,asthma and other serious health problems.Schools must rectify these environmentaldangers by improving theirventilation, cleanliness, and repairingstructural damage that can lead to leaks.The Connecticut Foundation forEnvironmentally Safe Schools(ConFESS) is dedicated to voicing theconcerns of students, teachers andparents who suffer from these illnessesand conditions. It sponsors an annualHealthy Schools Day, which will takeplace on April 28, 2008.The organization urges parents andthe greater community to encouragehealthy conditions in schools by stagingan event in their area. Workshops,hearings and panel discussions canall help to bring focus to the issues.Schools in twelve Connecticut townsand cities have signed on to the GreenClean program, promoting the use ofnon-toxic, natural cleaners. FromFarmington to Stratford, maintenanceworkers can breathe easy knowing theyare keeping harmful chemicals out oftheir lungs, and those of students.For more information, go topollutionfreeschools.org.CONNECTICUT BYTHE NUMBERS87 ~ Number of Farmers’ Marketsoffered throughout Connecticut60 ~ Different varieties of applesgrown in Connecticut22 ~ Number of school gardensin the state, according to theKidsGardening.org registry70 ~ Number of schools andschool systems that participatein the Farm-to-School programs,which pairs local farmers withschools to bring fresh, healthyfood to students200+ ~ Number of residences thathave installed solar power systemswith the assistance of theConnecticut Clean Energy FundFEATUREImir50 ~ Percent of vehicles purchasedby the state in the next two yearswhich must be alternative-fueled,hybrid, electric or plug-in electricvehicles. It must be 100 percentstarting Jan. 1, 2010.21