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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (43724)	4/25/2004 12:02:33 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Re-writing History: George Bush Misleads on Environmental Record ___________________ Kerry Campaign Chairwoman Jeanne Shaheen issued the following statement in response to the President’s April 24 radio address: “George Bush isn’t telling the truth when he says ‘America's air, land, and water have all gotten cleaner’ on his watch. That is false. This President has presided over the rollback of laws aimed at reducing the smog that causes asthma and the mercury levels that put pregnant mothers at risk. He has also pursed policies that force local taxpayers to foot the bill when corporate polluters make a mess. “As President, John Kerry will change George Bush’s failed policies and make sure that we give our children and future generations clean air, clean water and communities they can live in”. THE FACTS: 1) CLAIM: “[M]y administration will work to restore, improve and protect at least 3 million acres of wetlands over the next five years. This new wetlands policy reflects an enduring national commitment, carried forward by both parties, to protecting the environment.” [Bush Radio Address, 4/24/04] REALITY: “Bush proposed a rule change in January, 2003 that would have threatened the health of 20 million acres of wetlands. “Earlier this month, the administration issued rules that would remove up to 20 million acres of isolated wetlands from federal protection under the Clean Water Act.” Not only that, Bush’s FY 2005 budget proposes to decrease by 50,000 acres the amount of wetlands to be protected under the Wetlands Reserve Program.” [The State, 1/27/03; President’s FY 2005 Budget] 2) CLAIM: Since Congress passed the Clean Air Act of 1970, major air pollutants have been reduced by nearly 50 percent. My administration is building on that progress by implementing smarter ways to raise standards and improve air quality. The clean air interstate rule, based on the Clear Skies legislation I sent to Congress last year, will reduce the major causes of ozone and fine particles by 70 percent. [Bush Radio Address, 4/24/04] REALITY: Bush’s “Clear Skies” proposal would actually undercut protections on soot, smog and toxic mercury, while completely ignoring the threat posed by global warming emissions (carbon dioxide). “The power companies were on the verge of signing agreements to clean up their plants, which would have delivered one of the greatest advances in clean air in the nation's history. Then George W. Bush took office, and everything changed.” [New York Times, 4/4/04] 3) CLAIM: “[W]e are regulating mercury emissions from power plants for the first time ever. Under our new proposal mercury emissions will be cut by approximately 70 percent.” [Bush Radio Address, 4/24/04] REALITY: Bush proposed to defer controls on mercury emissions by power plants for at least a decade. The pollution isn’t just in the air, it gets into the water and contaminates fish. As of 2003, 44 states and territories had issued fish consumption advisories for one or more species of fish because of mercury contamination. [New York Times, 4/7/04] 4) CLAIM: “All these rules are based on sound science and good economics, and they will help every American breathe cleaner air.” [Bush Radio Address, 4/24/04] REALITY: The White House staff deleted or modified language in the mercury emissions proposal to minimize the health risks posed by the toxic chemical. Science panel members “were concerned because the White House almost uniformly minimized the health risks in instances where there could be disagreement.” [New York Times, 4/7/04] 5) CLAIM: “We also have a responsibility to be good stewards of the land. Two years ago, I signed legislation to clean up more of the abandoned and polluted industrial sites known as brownfields. Between 2001 and 2003, we restored over 1,000 brownfields to usable condition, more than were restored in the previous seven years. Our efforts have opened usable land for small businesses and residents in hundreds of communities across the country, and created more than 25,000 jobs in clean up and redevelopment.” [Bush Radio Address, 4/24/04] REALITY: Bush has refused to reinstate the Superfund Tax that forces polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic waste sites. His refusal has passed a $10 billion burden from polluters to tax payers. The Bush Administration has slowed the pace of cleaning up Superfund sites by almost 40 percent compared to the Clinton Administration. [US PIRG, “The Bush Administration Has Dramatically Slowed The Pace Of Superfund Cleanups”] blog.johnkerry.com