The senate just defeated the Edwards amendment 46-50. Of the 4 Absences, all 4 were confirmed votes in favor of the Edwards Amendment. This is an impressive vote count on a high-stakes issue, even though we ultimately lost the day. Senator Harkin was one of the absent Senators. I don't know yet why he wasn't there, but this vote shows that we can't take his support for granted. ---- Original Message ---- From: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 19:05:16 -0600 >Tomorrow (probably) Senator Inhofe will introduce a compromise >amendment >to the good Edwards amendment. This amendment will let the Bush >Administration rollbacks go into effect, and then require a health >effect study after 1 year. If it passes, the Edwards amendment is >toothless, and our air will get dirtier. > >Senator Harkin's office has told me that he is likely to vote for the >Edwards amendment. This is good news, but he needs to get calls on >the >Inhofe amendment. If you haven't called yet, please do so tonight >and >leave a message that Harkin should OPPOSE the Inhofe amendment, and >support the Edwards one. > >Harkin's office: 202-224-3254 > >Please call right away. These votes are scheduled to start at 8:15 >our >time tomorrow. > >Amber Hard >Iowa PIRG > >-----Original Message----- >From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements >[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric Uram >Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 9:22 AM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed > >Clean Air Action Alert! >Senate To Vote to Block EPA's New Source Review Rollback > >Within the next few days, Senator Edwards will offer an amendment to >the >2003 omnibus appropriations bill that will stop EPA from using FY 03 >funds appropriated by Congress to implement any of the final >weakening >changes made to the NSR program last month. The amendment will also >require a National Academy of Sciences study on the health impacts of >the final NSR rollback rules signed by EPA on December 31. > >This vote is the most significant action on clean air that has been >considered on the floor of the Senate in years. We need to get a >flood >of calls into key Senate offices NOW. Below is a brief backgrounder >on >the issue, and a short phone rap to use in calling Senate offices. > >Senator Harkin has been good on issues like this in the past, and we >need to instill resolve in him to address these attempts to roll back >clean air AND water programs that protect the health and well-being >of >everyone in Iowa. > >Please call today! > >Background: >Today, more than 140 million Americans live in areas where ozone smog >levels are high enough to cause health problems such as asthma >attacks >and declining lung function. Moreover, fine particle pollution known >as >"soot" cuts short the lives of 30,000 Americans annually. This is to >say nothing of the severe environmental impacts of air pollution, >including acid rain, mercury contamination and haze in our national >parks and wilderness areas. > >Unfortunately, the Bush Administration is taking giant steps backward >on >air pollution. A coalition of oil, coal and utility lobbyists have >waged >a campaign to persuade the Bush Administration to weaken the rules of >the Clean Air Act, especially the New Source Review program that >requires power plants, refineries and other industries to install >state-of-the-art pollution controls when they make major, >pollution-increasing plant modifications. Each year, this program has >kept more than a million tons of air pollution out of our skies. > >EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman just signed a set of >regulatory >changes that add up to the largest regulatory weakening of clean air >protections in the 30-year history of the Clean Air Act. These rule >changes dramatically weaken the NSR program, and could allow >pollution >increases from upwards of 17,000 facilities across the nation. On the >same day, she issued a proposal that would go even further, weakening >the NSR program to the point of uselessness. > >EPA took this action despite widespread opposition among the public, >more than one thousand medical doctors, forty-four U.S. Senators, and >more than one hundred members of Congress. Moreover, EPA ignored >more >than a dozen requests from Congress for detailed analysis of the rule >changes' impact on public health, and requests for public hearings >and >opportunity to comment on the rule changes. > >Phone rap: >As I'm sure you know, the Bush Administration has issued rules that >would weaken requirements that aging power plants and oil refineries >reduce their air pollution if they expand. One study found that >pollution from these sources cause thousands of premature deaths and >tens of thousands of asthma attacks annually. > >Fortunately, Senator John Edwards, (D-NC) is expected to offer an >amendment to block these weaker rules that would allow more air >pollution until the health and environmental impacts of these new >rules >are studied. The amendment would be attached to the 2003 omnibus >spending bill, which could be considered any day now. > >Can we count on your support for this amendment on the floor? > >================================================== > >Eric Uram >Midwest Regional Representative >Sierra Club >214 North Henry Street >Suite 203 >Madison, WI 53703-2200 >608-257-4994 office >608-347-8008 cell >608-257-3513 fax >[log in to unmask] > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]