[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1735-E1736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPARENCY IN REGULATORY ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS OF THE NATION ACT OF 
                                  2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2401) to 
     require analyses of the cumulative and incremental impacts of 
     certain rules and actions of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency, and for other purposes:

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I'm deeply disappointed that once again we're 
voting on a bill designed to cripple the Environmental Protection 
Agency--the agency tasked with protecting our environment and our 
health.
  This bill, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the 
Nation, TRAIN, Act blocks and indefinitely delays two of the most 
important clean air regulations of the last few decades--the Mercury 
and Air Toxics Standards, and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.
  These rules require decades-old coal-fired power plants with no 
modern pollution controls to install readily available technology, 
reducing cancer-causing dioxins, acid gases and mercury.
  Mercury pollution from power plants is particularly harmful for 
children and can adversely affect developing brains and bodies. 
Nevertheless, the bill before us expands and deregulates mercury 
pollution.
  The American Lung Association has highlighted the importance of the 
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule:

       The rule closes a toxic loophole that has existed for 20 
     years by updating standards to protect Americans all across 
     the country from hazardous air pollution. Without these 
     standards, toxic pollution will continue filling our lungs 
     and more people will suffer--and even die--unnecessarily.

  TRAIN Act will create a Train Wreck that will pollute our air and put 
lives at risk. Ironically, the bill also creates exactly what the 
majority says they want to get rid of--a new bureaucratic layer to 
analyze only the cost of EPA regulations while ignoring critical, life-
saving benefits.
  This legislation is a waste of taxpayer money and I urge my 
colleagues to vote against it.

[[Page E1736]]



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