House should support a coal-free state

Thank you for your editorial praising the passage of legislation in the state Senate that responsibly phases out the only coal-fired plant in Washington [“Bid farewell to coal,” Opinion, March 8]. This is an environmental, public-health and human-rights triumph. As a University of Washington medical student and future pediatrician, I am concerned about the effects of environmental degradation on children’s health. No child should suffer from a disease that is preventable.

In a climate where company rights often trump human rights, I praise Trans-Alta for its financial commitment to Lewis County and green energy. I am proud that our state is demonstrating to the nation how investing in the transition to clean energy can create jobs, a stable economy and healthier communities.

Doctors are rarely afforded the opportunity to stop an illness before it starts. The use of coal causes preventable injuries to our health. If we can prevent something and do not, then we are culpable in every case of nitrogen-oxide-related asthma and every learning disability due to lead and mercury ingestion.

Our legislators in the House have a chance to responsibly move our state beyond an unhealthy energy source. I am a future physician and a concerned citizen and I urge them to pass this bill as soon as possible.

— Jessie Duvall, Seattle