Rep. Carter Statement on EPA Moving to Abandon Soot Rule

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) issued the following statement:

“What? You have got to be kidding. This move is beyond irresponsible. It is dangerous. It is an attack on the health and well being of our people. For the Trump administration to walk away from lifesaving soot standards is pollution letting at its worst.

“As the Congressman from Louisiana, I cannot and will not stay silent while any administration gambles with the lives of the people I represent. In the River Parishes and across communities like New Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and the entire industrial corridor, we know what dirty air costs. We live with the asthma. We live with the cancer clusters. We live with the heart disease and the shortened lives that come from decades of unchecked pollution.

“Business and industry can coexist with our communities. I believe in jobs. I believe in growth. I believe in strengthening our economy. But none of that can come at the expense of our children’s lungs or our seniors’ health. There is no economic strategy that justifies poisoning the very people who make this state strong.

“Abandoning the soot rule is not policy. It is surrender. It abandons science. It abandons common sense. And it abandons communities like the River Parishes that have already carried more than their share of this nation’s pollution burden.

“As the Congressman from Louisiana, I am leading a letter to the President and the EPA urging a full reversal of this reckless decision. I am calling for the restoration of stronger soot protections that reflect both science and basic respect for human life. This is not partisan. This is survival.

“People who live near power plants, refineries, chemical facilities, and heavy industry are not disposable. They are families. They are workers. They are teachers, first responders, and small business owners. They deserve clean air and a future free from preventable harm.

“I will continue to fight. I will continue to speak up. I will continue to press every federal agency to do its duty and protect the public. Louisiana is not a dumping ground. Our communities deserve better, and I will keep pushing until this order is reversed and our people are protected.”

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