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Proviso Probe

Monday, February 26, 2007

GOV, should Cook County tax sulphur dioxide emissions?

A fellow blogger sent me this email the Sierra Club sent to its local members.
Dear Sierra Club member -

Last Wednesday, the Cook County Board voted 10-5 to tax harmful sulfur
dioxide air pollution, emitted primarily from older coal-fired power
plants in Chicago. (GOOD NEWS!!) Sierra Club has been pushing for the
clean up of these power plants for years and this tax will be another
incentive for the owners to reduce it's emissions, not to mention a
good source of funding for medical programs that treat the illnesses
caused by this pollutions.

However, Board President Todd Stroger has threatened to VETO the
pollution tax!! (BAD NEWS!!)

You can help - please call president Stroger TODAY at 312-603-6400
and tell him to NOT VETO the sulfur dioxide pollution tax!!

Sulfur dioxide is a dangerous air pollutant that forms deadly fine
particulate matter. Fine particles trigger asthma attacks and
increase respiratory hospitalizations, heart attacks, strokes, lung
cancer cases and premature deaths.

Vetoing this tax only protects polluters and continues to put the
public's health at risk! The Chicago area still does NOT meet minimal
federal air quality standards set 10 years ago.A tax of $400/ton on
major source of pollution could raise as much as $7m to support needed
county medical services for those who suffer health problems from the
emissions.

Under State rules, sulfur dioxide from the coal power plants in
Chicago will not be fully addressed until 2019. A County tax on
pollution starting this year will provide a powerful market incentive
for dirty power plants and other polluting sources to reduce deadly
pollution much sooner.

Should Stroger forgo the revenue and veto this tax?

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posted by Carl Nyberg at 4:10 PM

2 Comments:

  • Absolutely not! I hope Stroger recognizes the fact that SO2 compromises the health of asthmatics, which, in turn, places a strain on the public health system. (Particularly since he just laid off many health professionals.) Big business never does what it should do until it is forced to do it. Taxes talk.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:36 PM, February 26, 2007  

  • He vetoed the tax because the Daley appointed President puts dirty power politics ahead of people. He did it at the same time health care was cut by the county. It is a shame.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:50 PM, February 28, 2007  

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