Regarding " Chula Vista bayfront is no place for eyesore," Editorial, Jan. 28:

The Environmental Health Coalition supports Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox and a majority of the council for their strong stance against LS Power's proposal for a new power plant on the Chula Vista bayfront.

But it is not just the views of the bay that a new power plant would damage. EHC's opposition to the LS Power proposal stems from our desire to protect something entirely more valuable, the health of Chula Vistans.

Of primary concern are the emissions of particulate matter from power plants. Particulate matter aggravates asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and has been linked to heart attacks and premature death among the sick and elderly. The areas downwind of the plant have hospitalization rates for childhood asthma that are almost 20 percent percent higher than the county average. The closest ZIP codes have among the highest amounts of air pollution in the county.

LS Power's proposal does nothing to improve overall air quality for the residents of western Chula Vista. While the proposed plant would be more efficient, it would run more often than the current plant, so the total amount of pollution coming from the plant would be comparable. The reality for the children downwind at Harborside Elementary is that they will breathe essentially the same amount of air pollution.

We disagree that it is Chula Vista's problem to find an alternative site for a new power plant. Chula Vista and the South Bay region are already contributing to the region's energy supply by hosting a number of peaking power plants, transmission lines, as well as a new 560-megawatt base load power plant in Otay Mesa. Chula Vista's peak energy use is under 200 megawatts. The obvious question is why the South Bay should suffer the impacts from hundreds of megawatts above what it uses.

Our region needs a hybrid solution focused on true energy security and sustainability through investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the placement of smaller natural gas power plants in strategic and appropriate locations.

The solutions exist and EHC thanks Mayor Cox and the City Council for taking such visionary leadership to protect the community.