Contact: Ben Wrobel
O: (202) 463-2940 x.1012/ C: (917) 846-0658
July 16 events in Milwaukee will encourage stronger EPA regulation
Embargoed copy of report available
WHO: NAACP Director of Climate Justice Programs Jacqueline Patterson; NAACP Wisconsin State Conference President Tom White; NAACP Milwaukee Branch President James Hall; other NAACP unit leaders; affected Wisconsin residents from around the state.
WHAT: (Milwaukee, WI) – A new national NAACP report, “Coal Blooded: Putting Profits over People”, identifies six Wisconsin coal-fired power plants as “top environmental justice offenders” and significantly harmful to low-income communities and communities of color. Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee comes in as the fourth-most-harmful offender in the nation.
On Saturday, July 16th, national, state and local NAACP leaders will release the report, hear local testimonials, and encourage action at a teach-in and Town Hall Meeting at the NAACP Milwaukee Branch office.
“Coal Blooded” analyzes toxic emissions and demographic factors – including race, income, and population density – to calculate “environmental justice scores” for the nation’s 431 coal-fired power plants. The plants that receive “D+” or worse in Wisconsin are Valley (Milwaukee, F); Pulliam (Green Bay, F); Blount Street (Madison, F); Edgewater (Sheboygan, F), Pleasant Prairie (Pleasant Prairie, D+); and Milwaukee County (Milwaukee, D+).
The events are part of a multi-state teach-in series, all taking place during the comment period for a new EPA rule that limits toxic emissions. NAACP leaders have been encouraging residents to submit comments through an online form, http://action.naacp.org/page/speakout/mercury.
“Valley Power Plant and other coal plants across the state pose a serious health risk for our families and our communities,” stated NAACP Milwaukee Branch President James Hall. ““I hope that the injustices laid out in this report, and the testimonials that we will hear on Saturday, inspire residents living in the shadow of these plants to speak out.”
WHERE AND WHEN:
10:00 am–1:00 pm – Teach-In, strategy session, lunch – training for NAACP members (NAACP Milwaukee Branch Office, 2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.)
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Milwaukee Town Hall Meeting – release of report; testimonials from affected residents; film screening (Branch office)
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
