Critical Vote on Coal Ash Pollution — Updated

***UPDATE 10/14/2011***

This afternoon H.R. 2273 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 267-144. Illinois Representatives who voted to take away EPA’s ability to implement commonsense safeguards to protect communities and their waters from coal ash pollution include:

• Rep. Peter Roskam (R. 6th)
• Rep. Joe Walsh (R. 8th)
• Rep. Robert Dold (R. 10th)
• Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R. 11th)
• Rep. Judy Biggert (R. 13th)
• Rep. Randy Hultgren (R. 14th)
• Rep. Tim Johnson (R. 15th)
• Rep. Donald Manzullo (R. 16th)
• Rep. Robert Schilling (R. 17th)
• Rep. Aaron Schock (R. 18th)
• Rep. John Shimkus (R. 19th)
  

This bill must now be stopped in the Senate – stay tuned for information on how to contact your Senators.

***

House prepares to block EPA

Your U.S. Representatives need to hear from you now as Congress tries to push the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) out of the way in favor of continuing to put the coal industry’s bottom line ahead of protecting clean water.

Over a year ago, EPA proposed improved rules for how to store and dispose of harmful coal ash in response to the more than 100 known coal ash contamination cases in the U.S.  Over 450,000 public comments were received – more than had ever been received for any other proposed regulation.  Despite the overwhelming public outcry for protection from mismanagement of coal ash at the state level, as part of the War on Water some Congressional Representatives have advanced a bill that would prevent EPA from finishing the process of proposing commonsense safeguards to limit coal ash pollution.  The bill, H.R. 2273, is expected to come up for a vote this week (Oct 14).  Please take a moment to call your U.S. Representative NOW and ask them to Vote No on H.R. 2273!

Find your Representative here.

Talking points include:

1)      VOTE NO on H.R. 2273!

2)      Let EPA use its expertise, public feedback and the best science to decide how to regulate coal ash – without interference by Congress or special interest groups that have donated millions to anti-EPA campaigns.

3)      Improper management of coal ash in Illinois has earned us the distinction of having the second highest number of documented coal-ash damage sites of any state in the U.S.

4)      The public is at risk. Despite its hazardous characteristics, coal ash is not subject to federal regulations, and state laws governing coal ash disposal in Illinois are weak.

5)      Coal ash is toxic. Coal ash, the by-product of burning coal, contains toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead and mercury. The public health and environmental hazards from unsafe coal ash dumping have been known for many years, including increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, birth defects, reproductive failure, asthma and other sicknesses.

Read more on this upcoming vote.