Just before Christmas, members of the Coalition, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA)  and Franciscan Action Network (FAN), joined the National Association of Evangelicals and the Evangelical Environmental Network in applauding the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule on reducing mercury and other toxic emissions from coal and oil burning power plants. They highlighted its importance in pro-life terms.  Health experts say it will dramatically reduce toxic exposure to pre-born children and prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 childhood asthma attacks each year. A statement in support of the new rule came from Bishop Blaire (of Stockton and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development) .