Robert Moffitt/American Lung Association @justplainbob, MinnPost reports.

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“Most people don’t realize that this is a public health issue,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said during a conference call hosted by the American Lung Association. And “a closer look at the Clean Power Plan underscores McCarthy’s point,” writes Moffitt, the ALA’s state communication director.

The CPP projects that carbon reductions “will have the co-benefit of significantly reducing primary air pollutants like particulates and ground-level ozone that we know are a risk to human health,” he writes. “These reductions are projected to prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks and 300,000 days of missed work and school.”

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, air pollution is responsible for 2,000 premature deaths, 400 hospitalizations, and 600 emergency room visits per year in Minneapolis-St. Paul alone. “As the health risks of climate change and traditional air pollutants become better understood,” Moffitt states, “more health organizations are stepping up to support the Clean Power Plan.” (h/t to Midwest Energy News for pointing us to this story)