WHEREAS, The Clean Air Act is one of the United State's most successful pieces of public health and environmental legislation, and one of the most essential; and

WHEREAS, Implementation of the Clean Air Act has reduced air-borne lead by 98% and carbon monoxide by 24% since it became law in 1970; and

WHEREAS, The Clean Air Act still has much work left to do, as air pollution is responsible for 70,000 premature deaths and tens of billions of dollars in health care costs nationwide each year; and

WHEREAS, Sixty-two million people continue to live in counties that fail to meet the Clean Air Act's air quality standards, and 161 million in areas that fail to meet the American Lung Association's recommended standards; and

WHEREAS, Electricity generation is the single greatest industrial air polluter, contributing 65% of the oxides of sulfur, 35% of the carbon dioxide, 25% of the oxides of nitrogen, 20-40% of the particulate matter, and 20% of the air toxics; and

WHEREAS, Environmentally unconscionable methods of electricity generation also cause water pollution, create nuclear hazards and waste, cause acid rain, decrease agricultural productivity, constitute a probable cause of global climate change, and deplete natural resources; and

WHEREAS, Utility restructuring has the potential to tremendously affect pollution levels and resource use in Rhode Island and the region, for better or worse; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby memorializes the Congress and the President of the United States to retain and strengthen the protections of the Clean Air Act and ensure proper funding for the United States Environmental Protection Agency budget for its enforcement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Congressional delegation and to the President of the United States.