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Sen. Carper urges Biden administration to curb cross-state air pollution

Sen. Tom Carper urges the Biden administration to curb cross-state air pollution.
Mark Arehart
/
Delaware Public Media
Sen. Tom Carper urges the Biden administration to curb cross-state air pollution.

Sen. Tom Carper joined education leaders and climate advocates

in Wilmington Friday to call on the Biden administration to crack down on cross-state air pollution.

Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment Control estimates more than 90% of the state’s air pollution actually originates in other states.

Sen. Carper is confident President Biden will address cross-state pollution through executive order sometime this year.

He said coal plants in Pennsylvania, for example, already have air cleaning technology built in, but choose not to use it to save money.

“It is not hard. The technology is in play, just have to use it. It costs a little money to use it, but we spend a lot of money (in Delaware) because we have asthmatic kids, kids who can’t go to school, people who get hospitalized, people that die. It’s just not fair.”

Carper said the state’s most vulnerable and underserved communities suffer the most from pollution.

The American Lung Association gave New Castle County a failing grade for ozone pollution in its recently released annual report.

Carper is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Mark Arehart is an award-winning reporter/producer. Before returning to Delaware, Arehart was a reporter for WKSU and Ideastream Public Media in Northeast Ohio. He previously hosted Morning Edition and covered the arts scene for Delaware Public Media. He has worked for KNKX in Seattle, Kansas Public Radio, and KYUK in Bethel, Alaska.