Call to Action! CALL PA House Reps, urge them to vote YES to HB109!

The Environmental Justice Bill HB 109, which passed the committee in April, might be coming to vote in the house as early as June 30th. We are asking you to call our House Representatives to urge them to vote YES to HB109!! Several groups have been informed that there may not be enough Democratic support to pass the House – which means it is even more important than ever we contact them!

Here’s a CALL SCRIPT & CONTACT LIST with the information of Democratic representatives who are NOT yet co-sponsoring HB109.  The script is also included below.

Dubbed the ‘Environmental Justice Bill’, HB109 is a bill that would require the DEP to consider cumulative environmental/health impacts when evaluating permit applications in environmental justice communities. This is important protection for communities like Chester, which are overburdened by polluting industries.

Please call and urge them to co-sponsor the bill and to vote YES when it comes to vote! Even if you can only make a few calls, that will certainly help. We’ve highlighted the house leaders at the top of the list.

CALL SCRIPT:

Rep contact info below script!

Introduction:

Hello, my name is [Name]. I’m calling today to express my strong support for House Bill 109, also known as the Cumulative Impacts Bill and urging Rep XYZ to support this bill and vote YES when it comes to vote in the House. This bill is critical for protecting our overburdened communities from the harmful health effects of cumulative environmental pollution and its serious impacts on our health. 

Why This Matters:

Communities like Chester City are already overwhelmed with pollution from multiple industrial sources. Current federal air, water and soil quality standards regulate the pollution releases of each site individually. They do not consider their combined effects. As a result, we residents are experiencing numerous damaging impacts — impacts that we can literally smell, taste, and hear in our everyday lives.

((CHECK TALKING POINTS BELOW AND PICK ONE THAT RESONATES WITH YOU)) 

Do you know how much the combined impact of all of this pollution is negatively impacting our health?  (mention health stats below or talk about your personal experiences with cancer/asthma, pollution, etc.)

• Rates of childhood asthma in Chester are 5x the national average 
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by air pollution are highly elevated in large portions of Chester City and Delaware County. *
• The adult annual crude incidence rates of nearly two dozen different types of cancer are very highly elevated in our region as compared to the US National average rates.*
• Adult cancer incidence rates in Chester, Trainer and Marcus Hook up to 236% higher than PA state averages.*
• Low life expectancy is above the 90th percentile

Many constituents and their families are prematurely losing their lives and suffering!

Key Points:

• HB 109 – the Cumulative Impacts Bill — is very important. By regulating toxic pollution, it will reduce the incidence of the diseases that are damaging our lives and killing us. It will do this by giving the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) the authority to consider permits for new or expanding industrial facilities in terms of existing levels of pollution in our communities. Currently, existing pollution levels are not considered! 
• It will allow residents to have a voice, and policymakers to fully understand how any new polluting facility will further impact residents’ health. 
• It will create a more transparent and fair permitting process to protect the health of us all, including workers at these facilities. 
• It upholds our rights in Article 1, Section 27 of the PA Constitution, which declares that all PA residents have a right to clean air, clean water and the preservation of our health and lives.

Conclusion:

I urge you to support HB 109. This bill represents a crucial step toward upholding the constitutional right to a clean environment and healthy lives for all Pennsylvanians. If passed, this legislation will protect public health and serve as an important model for other states grappling with similar challenges. Thank you for taking the time to listen, and I appreciate your consideration. We need your support!

***If they have questions about the cancer stats or want to know about the research methods and findings, please refer them to Lauren Minsky at [email protected] or 610-888-5803).

Even if you can only make a few calls, that will certainly help! We’ve highlighted the house leaders at the top of the list.