Michigan Congressmen Vote to Block Public Health Protections

(Washington, D.C. – February 18, 2011) The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to use a budget bill to block clean air protections.

The vote was on an amendment to the Continuing Resolution (HR 1). The amendment, which passed Thursday night, would block all funding for enforcement of limits on mercury and other toxic pollution from cement plants. Mercury pollution causes brain damage in children.

Voting for higher levels of mercury in our air and water were Michigan Representatives Dan Benishek (R-MI-1), Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2), Justin Amash (R-MI-3), David Camp (R-MI-4), Fred Upton (R-MI-6), Tim Walberg (R-MI-7), Mike Rogers (R- MI-8), Candace Miller (R-MI-10), and Thad McCotter (R-MI-11).

“These congressmen are voting for more toxic mercury in our air and water – and that puts our kids at risk,” said Steve Cochran of Environmental Defense Fund. “This will mean more mercury pollution from dirty plants around America will end up our air, water and food. Experts, not politicians, should be making decisions about air pollution.”

Mercury Contamination and the Dangers to Michigan Residents

The mercury we put into our air falls back to earth, contaminates our waters, and gets into our food supply; it’s dangerous enough that pregnant women are warned against eating tuna and other fish because of high mercury levels that could cause brain damage in their unborn babies.

Cement plants are the third largest source of manmade mercury emissions in the U.S.
• Michigan has 3 major cement plants, including one of the top 5 highest mercury emitting plants in the nation.
• One-seventieth of one teaspoon of mercury is enough to contaminate a 20-acre lake and make the fish in it unsuitable for consumption.
• Each year, cement plants emit an estimated 16,000 lbs of mercury into the environment.
• Each year, an estimated 400,000 American newborn babies are exposed to unsafe levels of mercury.
• Enforcing the limits on toxic pollution from cement kilns would lower the amount of mercury they spew into the air by 92 percent, and save up to 2,500 lives each year.

While nine Representatives from Michigan voted against reducing mercury emissions, the other six members of the Michigan delegation voted for cleaner air and safer, healthier kids: Representatives Dale Kildee (D-MI-5), Gary Peters (D-MI-9), Sander Levin (D-MI-12), Hansen Clarke (D-MI-13), John Conyers (D-MI-14), John Dingell (D-MI-15).

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