League of Conservation Voters: Stop Sweetheart Deal For Polluters

Bush's air pollution plan is a sweetheart deal for polluters and is on a fast track in the Senate.

Published by | By | Monday, May 9, 2005

Bush's air pollution plan is a sweetheart deal for polluters and is on a fast track in the Senate.

Don't let Bush and his polluting allies weaken the Clean Air Act. The
so-called "Clear Skies" Initiative will be disastrous to the public's
health -- it would roll back protection from dangerous soot and smog,
eliminate safeguards for our national parks, allow increased emissions
of toxic mercury, and completely ignore the threat of global warming.
Air pollution from power plants alone contributes to an estimated
30,000 premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks, and
tens of thousands of hospitalizations for respiratory and
cardiovascular illnesses each year. Everyone deserves air that is safe
to breathe.

Your Senators need to hear from you right away to prevent this unprecedented attack on the Clean Air Act.

Sign and online petition Or send a letter like the one below to your senator.

************

Dear Senator,

I write to urge you to oppose S. 131, the so-called "Clear Skies"
initiative, which would weaken many of the Clean Air Act's most
important public health and environmental protections. S. 131 weakens
protection from dangerous soot and smog, eliminates safeguards for our
national parks, allows increased emissions of toxic mercury, and
completely ignores the threat of global warming.

For over 30 years, the Clean Air Act has proved that cutting power
plant emissions is compatible with maintaining a strong and growing
economy. Instead of continuing along this path, however, S. 131 would
rollback crucial Clean Air Act provisions that protect children from
increased asthma, communities from toxic mercury levels, cities from
dangerous soot and smog, and national parks from decreased visibility
and destructive acid rain.

The largest polluting industries support the President's air pollution
plan because it weakens current law. Specifically, S. 131 does the
following:

Weakens protection from dangerous soot and smog, which cause tens of thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks each year.
Weakens protection from toxic mercury.
Eliminates local air quality standards, resulting in dangerous toxic hotspots.
Weakens protections for our national parks and wilderness areas.
Eliminates the power of states and local communities to control pollution.
Delays deadlines for cleaning up our air, forcing Americans to breathe dirtier air longer.

Please support public health and clean air by opposing S. 131. Please
respond to this letter letting me know how you intend to vote on this
important issue.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

AMP Section Name:Environment

107 Energy

League of Conservation Voters: Stop Sweetheart Deal For Polluters

Bush's air pollution plan is a sweetheart deal for polluters and is on a fast track in the Senate.

Related Articles