Petition for Fair Ambient Air Quality in New Haven

WHEREAS:

• New Haven is currently out of compliance with federal air quality standards of fine particulate matter and is in serious non-attainment for ground-level ozone;

• Particulate matter emissions from power plants have severe effects on the health and quality of life of residents of the neighborhoods close to them;

• New Haven has the highest child and adult asthma hospitalization rates in the state of Connecticut;

• PSEG’s Harbor Station complex is designated a major source of air pollution by the Environmental Protection Agency;

• PSEG seeks to expand operations at Harbor Station by building three new peaking power units to operate on days when air quality is already at its worst;

• These three new modern units are technologically and environmentally more efficient than the existing Harbor Station unit;

• PSEG and the City of New Haven are currently negotiating environmental benefits for the community to offset the hazardous impact on residents;


TO HELP IMPROVE AIR QUALITY IN NEW HAVEN AND SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF NEIGHBORS, WE THE UNDERSIGNED DEMAND THAT:

• PSEG commit to a real, significant, and enforceable NET REDUCTION of air polluting emissions from their Harbor Station operations;

• PSEG take ALL measures to curtail emissions from their existing, less efficient, more polluting plant (Unit 1);

• PSEG commit to further specific reductions of polluting emissions in the longer term, and engage in meaningful and ongoing dialogue about future mitigation measures that reflect the true impact of their activities on our community;

• PSEG enter into a strong, enforceable environmental benefits agreement with the host community of New Haven;

• The New Haven community and the East Shore/Morris Cove residents in particular have ample and appropriate opportunity to actively participate in said negotiations and in future enforcement of the benefits agreement;

• All offsets PSEG offers to mitigate the impact of Harbor Station’s operations directly benefit the communities most affected by particulate matter emissions from the power plant.

We will not allow the health of the people of New Haven to take secondary priority. We believe that if PSEG is going to profit from an expansion of their operations, New Haven has to take a step forward with them. The status quo is not acceptable.