Statement of Environmental Defense Fund On Passage of H.R. 2250 and H.R. 2681

Contact:
Tony Kreindler, 202-445-8108, tkreindler@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

“Once again, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted in favor of more pollution.

“Two weeks ago, they voted to let power plants, the nation’s largest source of mercury air emissions, off the hook. Now they've decided to let industrial boilers and cement plants, the nation’s second and third largest sources of mercury air emissions, off the hook too -- letting them continue to release mercury, arsenic, chromium, lead and dioxins into the air without limit.

“It’s time Congress stopped pretending that increasing air pollution is an economic policy, or that forcing us to breathe dangerous toxins is a job creation plan. No one benefits when Americans suffer more heart attacks, asthma attacks, birth defects and premature deaths.”

- Steve Cochran, EDF Vice President of Climate and Air

Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. See twitter.com/EnvDefenseFund; facebook.com/EnvDefenseFund