Dean Slams Bush Again For Gutting the Clean Air Act Further

[slinkerwink]

BURLINGTON -- Governor Dean commented today on the Bush Administration¡¯s plan to gut the Clean Air Act requirement to regulate mercury emissions from power plants. The New York Times and Washington Post reported that the Bush administration is planning to rescind a three year old EPA ruling that found mercury to be a threat to public health.

"I am deeply troubled by news that President Bush is on the verge of gutting the Clean Air Act requirement to regulate harmful mercury emissions. When the Center for Disease Control has found that eight percent of American women of childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood. Once again, the Bush administration is selling our health, our environment, and our economic security to its campaign contributors."

Forty-five states have already issued advisories warning of the dangers of eating fish with elevated concentrations of mercury. Coal-fired power plants are by far the largest source of mercury emissions in the country, responsible for approximately 40 percent of the nation¡¯s industrial mercury emissions. The Clean Air Act requires the Administration to propose rules to regulate power plant mercury emissions by December 15 of this year. The rule currently being talked about would completely gut the Clean Air Act requirement to regulate these emissions.

"As a physician, I know how harmful mercury can be, especially to our most vulnerable population -- children. That's why I'm strongly urging the President to reconsider his approach, and put the public health of the nation over the profit of a few energy corporations," Dean said.

[sangh0]

1. "The Bush/Cheney Top 10 Environmental Insults" from Kerry

http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/enviros/topten.html

1. “Clear Skies”? Not to Our Eyes
President Bush’s “Clear Skies” initiative undercuts protections for soot, smog and toxic mercury, weakens pollution safeguards and relies on voluntary action from power plants to curb carbon dioxide emissions. It does nothing to clear our skies, yet President Bush continues to believe that by using the right words, the American people can be deceived.

2. Water Water Everywhere, With a Few Drops of Arsenic to Spare
President Bush has undermined the Clean Water Act at nearly every turn. Almost immediately after Bush took office, the EPA weakened controls on raw sewage discharge and tried to throw out President Clinton’s standards for arsenic in drinking water before a public outcry forced them to retreat. And that was just the beginning. President Bush proclaimed October 18, 2002 through October 17, 2003 “The Year of Clean Water.”

3. Broken Promises on Global Warming
President Bush could have recognized the growing scientific consensus and confronted the problem of global warming. Instead, Bush rejected the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academy of Sciences and called for “further study” of the issue. In the meantime, he retracted a campaign pledge to support laws reducing carbon pollution and withdrew from the Kyoto Protocols without presenting an alternative.

...

[sangh0]

2. Kerry on Nov 13

"4. Delays new protections from mercury pollution. Bush’s energy plan delays a new EPA rule that will set mercury thresholds for coal and oil-fired power plants putting public health for children and adults at further risk."

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_1112d.html

[sangh0]

3. Kerry: Bush Chooses Special Interests Over the Public Interest On Power

August 22, 2003
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_0822c.html

"Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry commented on the announcement that the Bush Administration will exempt power plants from protections aimed at cleaning the air through anti-pollution upgrades.

John Kerry said, "George Bush has given our biggest polluters a ‘get out of jail free’ card, stripped away the last pretense of corporate responsibility, and is allowing America’s environmental agenda to be driven by greed. His decision to let our nation’s dirtiest power plants pump hundreds of thousands of tons of toxics into our air is the most shameful and brazen giveaway to special interests we’ve witnessed on this President’s watch. He’s repaying his campaign contributors, caving in to the lobbyists who wrote Dick Cheney’s energy plan, and now he’s passing on the cost to America's families. The result will be dirtier air, more childhood asthma and an increase in respiratory disease. ..."

I'm happy to see Dean jump on Kerry's train

[slinkerwink]

4. hey, so post that in a new post instead of in my Dean thread

Your candidate's statements have no place in a Dean statement thread.

[poskonig]

5. I don't believe the post was a slam at Kerry.

We are all friends here.

[slinkerwink]

6. I agree....Kerry's name wasn't mentioned anywhere in the piece

sangho's posts make him look desperate. :shrug:

[sangh0]

7. WHo said it was a Kerry slam?

I just think the best way to decide on our candidates is to compare them side by side.

I even complimented Dean for agreeing with Kerry's long-held opinion.

[slinkerwink]

9. do it on your OWN post with those Kerry statements....

not in my thread.

[sangh0]

10. "Your" thread??

Aren't we feeling a bit possesive today!!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sangh0]

13. My double posts in your double threads bother you?

And do you really think that makes me LESS likely to post in both of them?

[slinkerwink]

14. because Kerry was not mentioned

and I don't know why the hell you didn't put Kerry's statements in a separate thread.

[sangh0]

15. Bush*'s Clean Air policies were mentioned

and Kerry's position on the issue is relevant. If you disagree, hit the alert button and let the mods decide.

[slinkerwink]

16. so make your OWN thread

about how Kerry Slams Bush for the Clean Air Act.

[madrchsod]

8. you mean bush is responsible

for the killing of people in the future? but he`s such a nice person...well all i have to do is walk outside my door and take in a lung full of acid smelling fumes from the cement plant a mile away. oh they put in pollution controls but the plant is owned by a mexican corp. which means they don`t have to abide by regulations-they just can sue under nafta and nothing will ever happen to them. god, i love america..

[madrchsod]

12. not to change the subject

what`s for supper tonight? i`m glad i stay out of these dean-kerry and who ever threads.

[slinkerwink]

17. italian breadsticks---that's all for me.