[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E337-E338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     AIR QUALITY STANDARDS COALITION LOBBYING FOR POOR AIR QUALITY

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 1999

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention 
the following excerpts from an article written by Bill McAllister that 
appeared in the Washington Post on March 4, 1999. The article, ``How 
Clean Air Bit The Dust,'' exposes yet another environmental injustice. 
With more and more sound scientific evidence showing correlations 
between poor air quality and increased incidence of diseases and 
environmental degredation it is sad to see that some misguided 
interests asserts that ``it's standard stuff'' to fight for the right 
to pollute our Nation's air. Is it ``standard stuff'' to increase the 
incidence of childhood asthma and lung cancer? The article states that 
some ``fretted that their opposition might rile EPA Administrator Carol 
M. Browner.'' Now they can worry about riling Congress. Read on.

                [From the Washington Post, Mar. 4, 1999]

                       How Clean Air Bit the Dust

                          (By Bill McAllister)

       What happens when a big business coalition closes the door 
     and plots strategy? Some enviros recently got a copy of notes 
     of a Jan. 21 meeting of the Air Quality Standards Coalition 
     and were appalled by what they saw through a rare window into 
     the world of business lobbyists.
       The lobbyists' bravado and scheming had Philip E. Clapp, 
     president of the National Environmental Trust, and John 
     Passacantando, executive director of Ozone Action, so angry 
     they demanded that Thomas R. Kuhn, president of the Edison 
     Electric Institute, which hosted the meeting, repudiate the 
     group.
       In the meeting, the lobbyists chortled over their 
     successful strategy of rounding up governors, local officials 
     and congressional Democrats to oppose a ``haze rule'' that 
     the Environmental Protection Agency was promoting to cut 
     pollution in national parks.
       ``We're delighted we're in place with this coalition,'' 
     said a representative of the Chemical Manufacturers 
     Association, who was also unnamed. ``Maybe we need to rename 
     it. How about just drop the word `standards' and call it `the 
     Air Quality Coalition.' ''
       Others fretted that their opposition might rile EPA 
     Administrator Carol M. Browner. ``We don't want Browner to 
     own this thing.'' said one. ``The key is keeping it out of 
     Carol Browner's bailiwick,'' said another.
       The meeting's big decision: to plan a retreat to discuss 
     strategy. ``We're going to help our friends on the Hill, 
     Bring in key Hill staff to work with us,'' one remarked.
       The lobbyists plotted tapping into corporate foundation 
     that could fund pollution

[[Page E338]]

     research and complained of their dwindling bank account 
     (``only $60,000'') and the work that the Alphine Group, a 
     lobby shop, was doing--at $7,500 a month--finding Democrats 
     to oppose the EPA rules.
       Attendees, according to the notes, also included 
     representatives of the American Petroleum Institute, the 
     National Mining Association, General Motors, American 
     Trucking Associations and Daimler Chrysler, among others.
       ``It's standard stuff'' said Paul Bailey, Edison's vice 
     president for environmental affairs, when asked about the 
     notes. ``We're surprised it has become a big deal.''
       An EPA official, speaking on condition he not be named, 
     agreed. ``They've been our nemesis for more than a year,'' 
     the official said, adding the group had used similar tactics 
     to fight a smog rule in 1997. ``We wouldn't be surprised at 
     anything the Air Quality Standards Coalition does. It's deja 
     vu all over again.''

     

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