Senator Stabenow Continues Attack on Public Health

Media Releases

Environment Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI—Despite opposition from groups including the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Senator Stabenow is continuing to push her proposal to threaten Michiganders’ health by blocking the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to clean up dangerous carbon dioxide pollution.  Sen. Stabenow’s proposal is one of four similar proposals—dubbed “The Filthy Four”— that the U.S. Senate could consider as soon as Monday.  Environment Michigan State Associate Nicole Lowen issued the following statement in response:
 
“Polluters and their allies in Congress have launched a brazen attack on Michigander’s public health and our environment, and Senator Stabenow is one of the senators leading the attack.  By doing the bidding of America’s biggest polluters, Senator Stabenow is placing the health of Michigan’s children, elderly citizens and other vulnerable populations at risk. 
 
“Carbon dioxide pollution is fueling global warming, which threatens Michiganders’ health, our economy and our future.  The year 2010 tied as the hottest year on record globally, and if left unchecked, global warming will lead to more deadly heat waves, more asthma attacks, the spread of infectious disease, and more frequent and intense storms.  But Senator Stabenow’s proposal would weaken the Clean Air Act’s ability to protect us from the very pollution that is fueling the problem.
 
“Rather than heeding the science and letting EPA do its job to protect public health and our environment, Senator Stabenow is trying to give the biggest polluters a free pass to keep polluting and threatening our health.  Senator Stabenow should abandon her dangerous attack on our public health, and instead stand up for cleaner air and a healthier future.”

BACKGROUND:
 
Despite the Clean Air Act’s 40 year track record of cost-effectively cutting dangerous pollution, and the many serious health and environmental threats posed by global warming, the U.S. Senate is expected to consider four proposals next week—The Filthy Four—that would block or weaken the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to clean up carbon dioxide pollution.  The Filthy Four are being offered as amendments to an unrelated small business bill (S. 493).

  • Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are offering an amendment that would block the implementation of standards to cut carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and other industrial sources for at least two years, while exempting the agricultural sector from limits on carbon dioxide pollution.  Coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of global warming pollution in the U.S.
  • Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is offering an amendment that mirrors Sen. Inhofe’s bill (S. 482) to block EPA from cleaning up dangerous carbon dioxide pollution, overturn scientific findings regarding the threats posed by global warming, and block EPA and the states from cutting carbon dioxide pollution and saving oil through clean car standards.
  • Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is offering an amendment that would block the EPA’s ability to set or even do research and gather stakeholder input on standards to cut carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and other industrial sources for at least two years.
  • Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) is offering an amendment that would block the clean-up of global warming pollution from biomass facilities, and would permanently exempt even the very largest sources of global warming pollution from having to clean up their global warming pollution unless the source is also a very large source of other pollutants.