Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor declared war on regulations that he and his Tea Party backers do not like. Of the ten proposed rollbacks, seven are environmental. Regulations declared “harmful” by Cantor include rules to reduce pollution from power plants, industrial boilers, cement plants, coal ash, ozone, particulate matter and greenhouse gases.

Delaying or cancelling these new pollution standards will seriously impact public health and shorten the lives of thousands, if not millions, of Americans due to pollution related illness.

Luckily, the American people soundly reject Cantor’s attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency. In February, a poll found that 77 percent of Americans (including 61 percent of Republicans) support the notion that “Congress should let the EPA do its job.”

A new poll by AP-GfK  (conducted August 18 – 22, 2011) found that 46 percent of Americans now have an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party’s deregulation agenda – the highest since the question has been asked. Only 28 percent still have a favorable opinion of the movement and its goals.

The Earthjustice Right to Breathe campaign details how real people will be impacted if pollution standards are not implemented in a timely manner.

It’s shaping up to be a busy fall. We’ll keep you informed as this story develops.