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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Many Illinoisans suffer from respiratory disease;
3in 2007, it was estimated that over 1.2 million people in
4Illinois (12.8% of adults) are burdened with asthma; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Air pollution causes major health problems for
6these and other Illinoisans; for the past 20 years, the State
7of Illinois has had one of the highest asthma mortality rates
8in the nation and has seen increasing prevalence, morbidity,
9and mortality rates; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency
11(U.S. EPA) is charged by the United States Congress to protect
12and improve the nation's air quality as required by the Clean
13Air Act; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Clean air protections are good for Illinois'
15economy and help save money, as the average length of an asthma
16hospital stay is 3.3 days with a total direct cost of $15,155
17per person; and
 
18    WHEREAS, On March 11, 2011, the U.S. EPA released the
19Second Prospective Study estimating the benefits and costs of
20the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990; the study found that the
21direct benefits significantly exceed their direct costs,

 

 

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1improving the economic welfare and quality of life for
2Americans; and
 
3    WHEREAS, That same report estimates that the economic
4benefits of reducing fine particle and ground level ozone
5pollution under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 will reach
6approximately $2 trillion in 2020; these savings are a result
7of disease prevention, prevention of lost-work days, and from
8the prevention of approximately 230,000 premature human deaths
9in 2020 alone; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The U.S. EPA has a proven track record of
11cost-effectively cleaning up a variety of air pollutants as
12required under the Clean Air Act; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The U.S. EPA is poised to set a number of
14standards under the Clean Air Act in the next three years that
15will cut dangerous pollution to protect our health and
16environment; and
 
17    WHEREAS, These standards will address the reduction of
18toxic mercury pollution and ozone levels, and the curbing of
19carbon pollution from power plants; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE

 

 

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1SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we support the United States
2Environmental Protection Agency in its efforts to protect the
3health of Illinoisans and fulfill the charge of the Clean Air
4Act to clean up dangerous air pollution, including mercury,
5lead, soot, smog, and carbon pollution; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That we oppose any efforts in Congress to weaken
7the U.S. EPA's ability to set standards to protect our health
8and cut dangerous air pollution from power plants and other
9large pollution sources; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor to represent the State
11of Illinois as a supporter of the U.S. EPA's efforts to
12implement the Clean Air Act as appropriate; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14delivered to President Barack Obama, Governor Pat Quinn,
15Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lisa
16P. Jackson, and the members of Illinois' congressional
17delegation.