Dean Blasts White House for Putting Industry Contributors Before Clean Air

Press Release - no copyright issues involved

WASHINGTON -- Today, Governor Howard Dean, MD denounced the EPA's decision to drop investigations into 70 power plants thought to have violated the Clean Air Act. The decision is a result of changes to New Source Review program that allow old, heavily polluting power plants to renovate without upgrading their pollution controls:

"How can we expect anything else," Dean said, "when this administration allows corporate contributors to dictate our energy policy? As with so many other actions taken by the administration, their decision to loosen clean air rules was made not based on science or what is best for our environment. Instead, it was a political decision made to pay back contributors who raised millions of dollars for George Bush."

Governor Dean continued, "Rolling back enforcement of the Clean Air Act will mean more profits for the President's 'Pioneers' and buddies from Texas, and it will mean dirtier air and more health problems for our children. This is just another example of how our political system serves the interests who fund the election process. We need a government that's going to work for the people again. As President, I will ensure our nation builds a new energy economy based on efficiency and new energy sources like solar, wind, and hydrogen."

The changes to the New Source Review program were cooked up by Vice President Cheney's energy task force at the behest of the utility industry. The industry gave President Bush almost half a million dollars during the 2000 campaign--more in one election cycle that it had given to any candidate in the previous ten years combined. The industry has already exceeded its 2000 contributions in the 2004 cycle. Don Jordan and Steve Ledbetter of Reliant Energy, which benefited from this decision, were both Bush "Pioneers" in 2000.

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This truly disgusts me. I don't see how anyone can accept this &%&&%^&^. Bush is single-handedly destroying every advance we've made in the last 30 years towards environmental sustainability. If he gets another 4 years, we're all going to be asthmatic and paying 10 times current amounts for water.

Now if the others will pick up the ball and make a little noise as well, we may actually hear more about this important issue.

I'm surprised that he can be handling old business while introducing new business!

Hardest working man in the primaries!

They give Dean new material every day!

Would love to see a real President address the
issues like this.