Global Warming Solutions News

Boston, MA—Environment Massachusetts launched a TV ad today criticizing Senator Scott Brown for voting two weeks ago to block Clean Air Act limits on global warming pollution (you can watch the video below).  The Senate defeated the binding Congressional Review Act resolution (S.J.Res. 26) by a 47-53 vote.

The TV ad began running June 19th and will run through July 3rd.

“I am extremely disappointed that Sen. Brown voted to increase Massachusetts’ dependence on oil and gut the Clean Air Act.  Bay Staters' expect much better from our senators,” said Ben Wright of Environment Massachusetts.

The resolution, introduced by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, would have blocked new Clean Air Act rules requiring cars and light trucks to use less oil and pollute less.  As a result, an Environment Massachusetts analysis found that the Senate measure would have increased Massachusetts’ dependence on oil by more than 9 million gallons in 2016, costing Massachusetts residents $25 million at the gas pump.

Nationally, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), blocking this one rule alone would increase America’s oil dependence by 455 million barrels of oil.

“The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico wreaking havoc on people’s livelihoods and the environment is a devastating reminder that we need to end America’s dependence on oil and strengthen environmental safeguards.  Now is certainly not the time to make the problem worse,” said Wright.

Specifically, the resolution would have overturned Massachusetts vs. EPA, blocking EPA’s scientific finding that global warming pollutants endanger human health and the environment – a prerequisite for any and all Clean Air Act rules to reduce the pollution from cars and other sources, such as old, dirty coal-fired power plants and heavy industry.

The process Senator Murkowski used, the Congressional Review Act, is a rarely used law that provides Congress expedited procedures to void agency rules. The Washington Post exposed earlier this year that industry lobbyists had worked on the “exact phrasing” of Senator Murkowski’s amendment on the issue in the fall of 2009.

“Thankfully, Senator Brown has a huge opportunity to move us in the right direction by working this summer to craft and pass  a strong and comprehensive bill to help restore the Gulf, cut our oil dependence, cap pollution from fossil fuels and move America to a clean energy economy,” concluded Wright.

###

Environment Massachusetts is a statewide environmental advocacy organization.