Source: U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, 10/6/11

 

Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-CA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works issued, “A STRONG EPA PROTECTS OUR HEALTH AND PROMOTES ECONOMIC GROWTH”, a report that counters GOP criticism of EPA rules. The summary of the report is below.

Since implementation of the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, followed by the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund, and other important environmental laws, America’s gross domestic product (GDP) has risen by 207 percent,1 and it remains the largest in the world.

Complying with the nation’s public health and environmental protection laws has bolstered a $300 billion a year clean technology sector that employs an estimated 1.7 million people. Our environmental laws provide major health and economic benefits. For example, the Clean Air Act’s annual benefits by 2020 are expected to prevent 230,000 premature deaths, 200,000 cases of heart attacks, 2.4 million cases of asthma attacks, 120,000 emergency room visits, and 5.4 million lost school days.

The economic benefits of the Clean Air Act will equal about $2 trillion per year by the
year 2020 if we continue enforcing the Act.

As Chairman Barbara Boxer has often stated, “If you can’t breathe, you can’t work. If you need to take your child to the hospital or if the breadwinner of the family dies prematurely, a major financial burden is placed on the family and often on society.”The same logic applies to preventing deaths and illnesses from polluted water and toxins.

The conclusion is clear: Our landmark environmental laws are critical to a stronger, healthier and more productive workforce – they are integral to our quality of life and support a strong economy. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) important role was clear at its creation and is just as vital today.

To read the full report, click here.