Cathy- I spoke with Harkin's office yesterday. He was in Africa and was assured by Daschle that there wouldn't be any close votes this week. Only after he scheduled meeting with a few foreign heads of state was the Edwards amendment scheduled. -Amber Amber Hard Iowa PIRG -----Original Message----- From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of cathy livingston Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 2:11 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed Where was Harkin? His absence is extremely disturbing on a vote of this importance. Did Grassley vote againest the amendment? I assume he did...but his office is always very gracious when I call, and I always receive a written response from him after I have contacted him. I rarely hear a response from Harkin's office. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Amber Hard" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 11:56 AM Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed > 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] > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp