Big environmental groups are ramping up pressure on the Senate not to take up energy legislation that omits mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
In a letter to the Senate Thursday, 14 groups argue that a limit on carbon dioxide emissions is “indispensable.”
This limit, in combination with strong energy policies, is crucial for creating the powerful economic incentives required to unlock the investment and ingenuity that will drive large-scale job creation, ensure pollution reduction, and advance energy independence,” states the letter.
Backers of the letter include the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Blue Green Alliance, the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
I actually had an event here in Washington last night and I had my own group of protestors show up, and I guess you know you’ve arrived in politics when you generate your own group of protestors against you.
The Senator has no shame.
You can listen to an audio clip from the call here.
Senior House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats on Thursday said a major electric utility trade group is “actively misinforming” its members about federal climate change policy and taking a position that many of the members don’t support.
Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) criticized the American Public Power Association (APPA), which represents publicly owned utilities, for supporting a Senate proposal to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
The Department of Transportation is warning that a Senate bid to block planned EPA greenhouse gas regulations would have “profoundly adverse effects” on the economy, the environment, and car companies.
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The letter looks at what would happen if Murkowski’s plan becomes law and DoT has to proceed alone with new mileage standards. One result is that California and several other states would press ahead with their own emissions rules, instead of deferring to the joint DoT-EPA standard as planned, DoT notes.
Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has instructed Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to produce a revamped climate bill as soon as possible, according to sources, a task Kerry intends to accomplish within two weeks.
The marching orders could represent the best chance advocates will get to pass a climate and energy bill before the November elections. Kerry has been working with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) on drafting a measure that could attract bipartisan support, but it remains unclear what combination of policies would draw enough votes to win passage.
“The majority leader is deadly serious about making progress this year on climate and energy reform,” Kerry said in a statement. “He’s been a hero every step of the process and he’s been in constant communication. Senators Lieberman, Graham and I have been meeting every day and we’re on a short track here, piecing together legislation and working with our colleagues so it can be finished and rolled out soon.”
Friends of the Earth recently released two TV ads in South Carolina and Georgia opposing the Obama administration’s proposed bailout of the nuclear industry.
Last night, Senator Murkowski was treated to a fundraiser by lobbyists for the Nuclear Energy Institute, Duke Energy and Peabody Coal. Political Party Time has the details:
Host Alex Flint lobbies for the Nuclear Energy Institute, whose PAC has given her $5,000 since 2008. Beverly K. Marshall lobbies for Duke Energy, which is based in North Carolina, and has given the senator $24,050 over the course of her career. David Russell represents a number of clients for Bryan Cave LLP, including Peabody Energy, a coal company based in St. Louis, Mo. Peabody’s PAC has given her $3,000 since 2008.
Here is a screenshot of the invitation, which was distributed by the NRSC:
Political Party Time also made some interesting general observations about Senator Murkowski’s fundraising habits:
Murkowski gets more campaign cash from the energy and natural resources sector than any other–more than $1 million over the course of her career. Seventy-three percent of her campaign cash comes from sources out of state.
Just 19 hours later, today at 2:00, Senator Murkowski will do the bidding of those who funneled money to her campaign last night. On a conference call with Chamber of Commerce members Senator Murkowski will give an overview of the EPA’s plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and her efforts to stop those plans. Here is how the Chamber of Commerce describes the call:
The U.S. Chamber is pleased to announce that we will hold a special member conference call with United States Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and we want you to be a part of this timely discussion about climate change and legislation in Congress to deal with EPA’s actions to regulate greenhouse gases on the afternoon of Thursday, February 25. Join in this worthwhile opportunity to hear an overview of the EPA’s move toward regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, its burdensome affects on business, and Congress’ response to the move. Register now to receive the dial-in number.
Senator Murkowski has introduced bipartisan legislation to allow time for Congress to address the climate change issue and prevent EPA from moving forward with a regulatory scheme to regulate greenhouse gases under the ill-suited framework of the Clean Air Act. On January 14, the first major step of that process–an EPA final rule concluding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare–took effect, and with it the obligation to move forward with what could easily become the most expensive and intrusive set of regulations in history. The implementation of these rules will have a significant impact on the economy and small businesses.
This is one of those all-too-often instances in Washington where a direct connection can be drawn between a candidate’s fundraising and their anti-progressive legislative agenda. Polluting corporations don’t funnel millions of dollars to candidates out of the goodness of their hearts. They do so with an expectation that they’ll get something in return, and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski never disappoints on that front.
Indeed, Senator Murkowski’s extremely close ties to oil, gas and coal industry lobbyists have caused some to speculate that she is romantically involved with some of them:
When I moved from Alaska to Washington, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find someone who was right for me. The first couple of years were tough — I met a lot of potential matches but couldn’t find the perfect one. My dad had lived in DC for years and had a lot of success with PolluterHarmony, so I decided to try it.
When I saw Jeff’s profile, I couldn’t believe I found a lobbyist with so much money to contribute to my re-election campaigns and so many big coal and utility industry clients. Arch Coal, Southern Company, Edison Electric… I thought “He’s just what I’m looking for!” We instantly clicked — in our first phone conversation, he told me he could bundle $10,000 by our first date. We met in person a week later, and he had the check in hand.
In order to make sure Washington lobbyists know that Senator Murkowski’s votes and legislative efforts are up for sale to the highest bidder, PolluterWatch.com is now running ads on Politico:
And to be fair to Alaska residents who may also be interested to know about the unscrupulous behavior of their senior Senator, ads are also running on the websites of Alaska TV stations:
Visit NoDirtyAirAct.com for the latest on Senator Murkowski’s efforts to the bidding of her energy industry lobbying pals by severely weakening the Clean Air Act.
In an unusual state foray into nuclear regulation, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 Wednesday to block a license extension for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, citing radioactive leaks, misstatements in testimony by plant officials and other problems.
Unless the chamber reverses itself, it would be the first time in more than 20 years that the public or its representatives decided to close a reactor.
The vote came barely over a week after President Obama declared a new era of rebirth for the nation’s nuclear industry, announcing federal loan guarantees of $8.3 billion to assure the construction of a twin-reactor plant near Augusta, Ga.
Vermont Yankee’s recent troubles are viewed by some as an imposing challenge to arguments that reactors are clean, well run and worth the enormous investment involved in building and operating them.
Here is the bill, as introduced in the Vermont Senate:
“Vermonters sent a message to President Obama and the nuclear industry today,” said Greenpeace’s Nuclear Policy Analyst Jim Riccio. “The nuclear renaissance is dead on arrival. We can retire old, decrepit and leaking reactors like Vermont Yankee and help usher in the energy revolution that America needs.”
“When Americans have the choice about the kind of energy they want in their communities, they don’t want nuclear. Vermont has shut down the myth of the so-called nuclear renaissance. Greenpeace is calling on Vermonter legislators to vote against relicensing in the house as well so that the message to America registers loud and clear.”
While the Obama White House continues to sit on a proposal to reform handling and disposal of toxic ash from coal-fired power plants, a new report out this morning from the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice details new information revealing 31 other sites around the country where coal-ash pollution has contaminated groundwater, wetlands, rivers and streams.
Among the report’s highlights:
– Arsenic, a potent human carcinogen, has been found at 19 of 31 sits at extremely high levels, with one site found at nearly 150 times the federal water standard.
– At least 26 of these 31 sites report contamination that exceeds one or more primary drinking water standards.
– Twenty five out of the 31 sites are still active disposal sites.
– The damage is not limited to “wet” ash ponds like the TVA Kingston Plant site that collapsed in December 2008, re-igniting interest in the coal-ash issue. At least 13 of the contaminated sites are so-called “dry” disposal, including two “structural fills” that were advertised as “beneficial use” of coal ash.
