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For Immediate Release: May 27th, 2004 Contact: Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c) 516.991.3842 (w) 212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151 ***PRESS RELEASE*** State Senator Liz Krueger
Urges Legislative Action on Power Plant Cleanup Act Supports
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s Lawsuit Against West Virginia Power Plants New York, NY – State
Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) today called for the immediate passage
of the Power Plant Cleanup Act (S. 3172 – Schneiderman). The bill would require pollution
generators, primarily power plants, to adhere to Clean Air Act standards and
reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent, nitrogen oxides by 75 percent, sulfur
dioxide by 75 percent, and carbon dioxide to levels emitted in 1997. “New York State, while often imperiled by
the irresponsibility of polluters elsewhere, must do all that it can to protect
the environment and the public’s health within its own boundaries,” stated Senator
Krueger. “In the past, New York
has lead the nation in air emission standards and we must continue to do so.” Senator Krueger also
praised New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s decision to sue the
owner of five coal-fired power plants in West Virginia for alleged violations
of the federal Clean Air Act. “Eliot
Spitzer should be commended for working to protect New Yorkers and honor the
Clean Air Act because it has become sadly apparent that President Bush, EPA
Administrator Mike Leavitt, and the rest of the Bush administration have no
intention of doing either,” stated Senator Krueger. “New York cannot afford to continue
waiting for the federal government to properly regulate upwind polluters who
have no interest in complying with safety measures intended to keep us and
our children healthy while also preserving the environment.” New York is “downwind” of West
Virginia and the prevailing wind patterns carry to New York many airborne
pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone—a leading
contributor to respiratory health problems like coughing, nausea, and
asthma. Acting in conjunction with
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, New Jersey Attorney General
Peter Harvey, New Jersey Environmental Commissioner Bradley Campbell, and
Pennsylvania Secretary for the Environment Kathleen McGinty, Attorney General
Spitzer notified Paul J. Evanson, the President of Allegheny Energy, Inc.
that his company’s coal-fueled power plants have released dangerous levels of
nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in
direct violation of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration provisions of
the federal Clean Air Act (§304 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §7604). “Fossil fuel-consuming power
plants are New York’s leading polluters, and industrial air pollution has
already left its mark throughout our state,” said Senator Krueger. “Adirondack Park has seen 41 percent of
its lakes effectively destroyed by acid rain produced by power plant
pollutants and known neurological inhibitors like mercury threaten our food
supply and youth. New York cannot
afford to rely on a federal government controlled by big contributors like
the energy industry. S.3172 will
begin to reverse the trend of environmental deterioration by requiring power
plants to employ the most eco-friendly technology possible. Passage of this bill will ensure that New
York remains a state in which families can feel safe, the environment can be
preserved, and the nation can find innovative leadership.” -30- |
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