Environmental Defense Action Fund launches major TV ad campaign to thank Senator Lamar Alexander for clean air fight

(Washington, D.C. -- July 3, 2012) Environmental Defense Action Fund (EDAF) today launched a major television ad campaign to thank Senator Lamar Alexander for his leadership in the fight to protect the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

“Senator Alexander stood up for clean air and Tennessee families, and he deserves our thanks. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that threatens young children and pregnant women -- we can’t just ignore the problem,” said Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund. “Lamar Alexander took a courageous stand for the people of his home state.”

Sen. Alexander helped lead the fight to defeat an effort under the Congressional Review Act that would have killed the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and stopped the EPA from issuing a rule that is “substantially the same” in the future. The new standards are expected to save 11,000 lives each year and significantly reduce mercury pollution in the environment.

The Tennessee Valley Authority has already begun to reduce its pollution under a separate legal agreement, and the new federal rules will now require non-Tennessee utilities to start cleaning up as well.'

“Senator Alexander put his constituents before partisan politics,” added EDAF President Elizabeth Thompson.  “We don’t always agree with Senator Alexander – in fact, he has called for a delay in these rules which we think is a bad idea. But when it counted, he fought for common sense pollution limits. We recognize strong leadership for clean air when we see it, on either side of the aisle.”

The ad will be running Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Jackson, and Memphis the week of July 4th. It can be seen here.