ST. LOUIS - On Thursday, health professionals and community residents gathered outside Ameren Missouri's headquarters to deliver a letter signed by 48 public health leaders calling on the utility's CEO and board members to move more quickly beyond coal and invest significantly in clean energy. Ameren relies on coal for nearly 80 percent of its electricity generation, while the national average is closer to 40 percent.

"As nurses, we acknowledge that pollution and our changing climate represent some of the greatest challenges to the health and well-being of our community," said Paul Holland with National Nurses United. "It is urgent that Ameren starts taking swift steps away from coal-fired generation now and invest in clean, renewable energy."

In January, the Missouri Public Service Commission will hold public hearings on Ameren's latest request for a rate increase, which include projects that will allow Ameren to continue burning coal in St. Louis for decades. Ameren is one of the largest polluters in St. Louis, and health professionals are seeking to align the company - which includes board member Steven Lipstein, CEO of BJC Healthcare - to make smarter energy choices that save money and don't degrade public health in the region.

"As a fellow health professional and advocate for public health, we know that Steven Lipstein, CEO of BJC Healthcare, understands it is our responsibility to take action to protect the health and well-being of our community," Dr. John Kissel, Retired Physician and Internal Medicine Specialist. "Any advancements to healthcare in St. Louis are truncated when our utility's coal-dependent business model leaves us with some of the most toxic air in the nation."

The St. Louis region is currently out of compliance with many air standards. Pollution from the entire region, including St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Charles Counties, and St. Louis City, exceeds the federal smog standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meanwhile, Jefferson County is currently not meeting the Clean Air Act standard for sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution. Despite this, Ameren's Rush Island coal plant - the largest source of SO2 pollution in Jefferson County - has no installed pollution control technology to reduce SO2 emissions.

According to the letter, "The most vulnerable members of our community – children and the elderly – suffer the most from toxic coal pollution. The toxins from coal pollution contaminate our air and water, exacerbating asthma and respiratory illnesses and causing unsafe levels of mercury in our bodies which can be passed from mother to child while in utero."

"Everyone in St. Louis has a right to clean air," said Dr. Daniel Berg, Internal Medicine Physician with a practice in St. Louis County. "The status quo of coal dependence by Ameren takes away that right."

In all, more than 2.6 million people in the St. Louis area live in areas that fail to meet public health air quality standards.

News Source : 48 St. Louis Health Professionals Send Letter Urging Ameren to Move Beyond Coal