The Canary Coalition, the broad-based grassroots clean air movement that began in Western North Carolina, recently added former Asheville Mayor Leni Sitnick to its advisory board.

Sitnick, who completed her term in office last month, joins Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Leon Jones, Jackson County Board of Commissioner Chairman Jay Denton, Sylva Town Manager Richard McHargue, specialist in mercury poisoning Dr. James Biddle, retired Methodist Minister Harold Strader, attorney Ron Lugbill and registered nurse and community organizer Judith Hallock on the board.

“The Canary Coalition wholeheartedly welcomes Leni Sitnick to our advisory board. We are honored and excited to have her as a resource for our organization,” said Avram Friedman, the executive director. “Since the Canary Coalition is the only grassroots organization in the region that has air quality as its sole focus, Leni Sitnick’s decision is a powerful statement about the importance of this issue and our organization. We are hopeful that her example will be followed by many others who know and respect her.”

The Coalition is gearing up for a major membership drive in the wake of recent decisions by the federal government and non-decisions by the North Carolina General Assembly regarding the clean-up of grandfathered coal-burning power plants that seriously affect the air quality in this region. North Carolina legislators failed to pass the Clean Smokestacks Bill in the last session, despite overwhelming public support for the bill. On the federal level there is also clean smokestacks legislation pending in the Senate. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has just announced a proposal to loosen pollution control requirements for older power plants that are upgraded in capacity or retrofitted with new equipment. This proposed change in the “New Source Review” policy of the EPA has raised alarm in the health and environmental community and is widely viewed as a significant setback for improved air quality.

“The Canary Coalition currently has members in seven states, but the bulk of our membership is still in Western North Carolina. We are growing both in numbers and geographically,” says Friedman. “As our numbers grow so does the power of our message. This winter it’s important that we expand rapidly to make sure state and federal legislators and regulators feel the pressure. Government officials have to be kept aware that clean air remains an important issue in the public mind. We are going to run a comprehensive campaign this winter to educate citizens, public officials, news media outlets and the community in general about the health benefits of improving our air quality and what we can do about it working together. Stay tuned and join the Canary Coalition.”