EPA chief says that climate change is about public health

ANN ARBOR (AP) -- The new administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told a University of Michigan audience that climate change is about public health. Gina McCarthy spoke last Thursday to a few hundred students and others during the law school's Environmental Law and Policy conference. Her speech was part of a three-state tour to discuss EPA's plans for reducing carbon emissions from power plants and other sources. She says climate change must be tackled because it's a significant threat to health. She says the Great Lakes region is especially vulnerable to storm surges and floods that can overwhelm storm water systems. President Barack Obama appointed McCarthy as assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation in 2009. She was named administrator this year and confirmed by the Senate in July. Published: Mon, Sep 30, 2013