Pallone Commends State's New Clean Air Proposal; Assails Bush Administration's Neglect

Belmar, N.J. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone gave the following statement today at a press conference commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Air Pollution Control Act and the announcement of a new state clean air proposal to reclassify carbon dioxide as an air pollutant. Pallone was joined by Governor James McGreevey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley Campbell, and Belmar Mayor Kenny Pringle.

"Thanks to the foresight of so many environmentally-conscious New Jersey leaders, our state has been ahead of the curve in developing important environmental protections. In fact, New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Act was passed fifty years ago -- one year ahead of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Today, the Governor is announcing yet another environmental initiative that will put New Jersey ahead of the federal government. For years, scientists have been telling us that carbon dioxide emissions contribute to global warming, which will have severe effects on our climate. As Rutgers scientists have shown in a new study, about half of the current sea level rise along the Jersey shore is due to human-induced climate change and could get worse. Rising sea levels will spell disaster for New Jersey's economy.

"That's why the Governor's proposal to reclassify carbon dioxide as an air contaminant is so important. This plan will help the state participate in a regional initiative to reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions and slow the progress of human-induced climate change.

"It's a sad state of affairs, though, when the state has to take so many steps to fight carbon dioxide emissions and other types of air pollution -- problems that clearly do not respect state borders. Given New Jersey's position being downwind from so many power plants in the Midwest, there's only so much we can do by ourselves.

"In his 2000 campaign platform, then-Governor George W. Bush claimed that he would regulate carbon dioxide and three other pollutants -- mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide. President George W. Bush, though, has done nothing to try to regulate carbon dioxide -- in fact, he has even denied that it is a pollutant. Republican leaders in Congress have followed along like sheep.

"Last month, the Bush administration finally acknowledged that global warming exists and that manmade pollution is a significant factor. Yet they refuse to do anything about it. The administration and Republican congressional leaders have stood in the way of efforts to fight global warming and combat air pollution. In fact, the Bush administration is going to have quite a legacy of ignoring air pollution and its effects on public health -- all to benefit polluting special interests.

"Rather than developing strict controls on mercury -- one of the most toxic air pollutants -- they have decided to impose a weak trading system that won't address local mercury 'hot spots.'

"Rather than enforcing laws that require utilities to upgrade pollution controls when they update their plants, the Bush administration has tried to give them a free pass, despite scientific evidence that excessive power plant emissions have led to hundreds of premature deaths and thousands of cases of respiratory illness in New Jersey.

"And rather than protecting the ability of downwind states like New Jersey to require plants in upwind states to cut pollution, the Bush administration wants to gut this provision of the Clean Air Act.

"New Jersey has done a tremendous amount to clean up our air. Yet despite all the state's efforts over the years, we still have some of the worst air quality in the nation. It's clear we can't do it all by ourselves, and it's time the federal government do something. New Jersey will only get help from Washington if Senator Kerry wins in November and Democrats take back the Congress."