U.S. House Pushes Deadly, Pro-Polluter Agenda by Passing TRAIN ACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2011
Contact: Katie Feeney, Clean Air Council, 215-567-4004 x 112, kfeeney@cleanair.org
 

 

(Washington, DC) -- Today the House of Representatives passed a sweeping anti-environment bill that blocks two landmark public health safeguards against air pollution. The TRAIN Act, H.R. 2401, blocks standards that would curb mercury emissions from power plants and reduce pollution that travels across state lines and endangers communities.

 

 

“Today the U.S. House of Representatives made a stark choice to put polluters before public health.

 
“If it becomes law, H.R. 2401 will yield 175,000 more asthma attacks and more than 25,000 premature deaths in the first year alone, due to smog, soot, and toxic air pollution.

 

“Sacrificing tens of thousands of American lives will not create more jobs. Allowing corporations to dump toxic pollution into the air we breathe will not help the economy recover.  Burdening the American people with billions of dollars in health bills will not spur economic growth. A healthy economy begins with healthy people. 

 

“Today the House showed that they have bought the false argument that we need to choose between protecting lives and creating jobs.  Clean Air Council thanks President Obama for his vow to veto this bill. His leadership will keep Americans from being forced to breathe smog and other dangerous air pollutants and we urge the U.S. Senate, especially Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. Pat Toomey, to reject the House’s irresponsible attack on health.”

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Clean Air Council is a member- supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone's right to breathe clean air. The Council works through public education, community advocacy, and government oversight to ensure enforcement of environmental laws. For more information www.cleanair.org