Proving the across-the-board support for the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), I just learned that Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) has endorsed the Clean Water Protection Act! They also came out on our side against the Bush Administrations attempts to repeal the Stream Buffer Zone Rule.
Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, moderates, independents…America agrees, mountaintop removal coal-mining, and the poisoning of the Appalachian people needs to stop as soon as possible.
REP:
There is nothing even remotely conservative about allowing special-interest greed to trump our fundamental duty as stewards of God’s own handiwork,” said David Jenkins, REP Government Affairs Director…
…”The loophole that allows coal mining companies to use the waters of the United States as free garbage cans needs to be closed,” DiPeso said.
A bill that would help is the bipartisan Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169).
“This bill would re-affirm the original intent of the Clean Water Act by explicitly barring the use of water bodies as waste dumps,” Jenkins said. “We thank Congressmen Wayne Gilchrest (MD), John McHugh (NY), Todd Platts (PA), and Christopher Shays (CT) for co-sponsoring this important legislation.”
Even though most self-identified Republicans we talk to think mountaintop removal is awful and needs to stop, many Republican Congressmen and women are not as responsive.
6 of our 105 co-sponsors are Republicans:
Chris Shays (CT-04)
Wayne Gilchrest (MD-01)
John McHugh (NY-23)
Todd Platts (PA-19)
Mark Kirk (IL-10)
Frank Wolf (VA-10)
That number needs to be much higher. Lets keep the pressure on our elected officials from both parties!
JW RandolphRaised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.
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